Clients, Colleagues and Friends,

2017 was undoubtedly an interesting (to put it mildly) year in Washington. From welcoming a new, unconventional presidential administration, to dealing with the realities of evolving threats at home and abroad, to the passage of—regardless of how you may feel about it—sweeping, historic tax reform legislation, one thing we can all agree on is that this past year has certainly not been boring.

Since leadership switched hands in Washington that rainy day last January, the waves of change have come swiftly and forcefully. Regulations have been rolled back, longstanding policies are being reformed, and traditional institutions shaken up. Everyone has an opinion on whether these changes are good or bad, but regardless of where you sit, politics is chaotic. We thank you for allowing us to help you make sense of it all and engage, and we are grateful you consider us a member of your team.

As we begin 2018, Washington has continued to be a crazy, tumultuous place. That’s why we, too, are growing, evolving, and making changes in order to better help you navigate this complex environment. While it’s been a busy year in politics and policy, we wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the ways it’s been a year of change for us here at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as well.

This year was a year of growth for our firm. In addition to rebranding and relaunching our new website, copublicstrategies.com, and continuing to keep you informed of the news of the day in our regular Beltway Briefings, we welcomed some new, and some familiar, faces to our federal team.

Recently, we were pleased to welcome back former Cozen O’Connor colleague Jim Schultz – who just returned to the firm from the White House, where he served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Counsel to the President in the office of White House Counsel. Jim’s return provides us with an additional and unique capacity to serve our clients in Washington, Harrisburg, and elsewhere.

Earlier in 2017, we welcomed new faces Allison Wils, who brings experience in the innovative field of telemedicine and came aboard to help expand our health policy practice, as well as Kaitlyn Martin, who supports our advocacy efforts and manages public affairs for our growing team.  

Also this year, we have dramatically expanded our state and local government affairs practice.

We understand that all politics is local and that, while the federal government is often categorized as being plagued with gridlock, it’s in statehouses and city halls where much of the real change is happening. That’s why in November, we welcomed a team of five highly regarded government relations professionals from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to our New York team – significantly growing our New York City government relations capabilities and bringing with them strong ties to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and communities throughout the five boroughs. Katie Schwab, Rose Christ, Reggie Thomas, Nantasha Williams and Allison Arethas have already become an integral part of our growing team, and we're thrilled to have them join us as we continue serving clients in New York City and Albany.

We’ve expanded in Pennsylvania as well. This past summer, we welcomed seasoned Pennsylvania lobbyist Dave Bonsick to our team in Harrisburg, where he joins Jim Davis in advocating for a diverse group of clients with interests across the cable television, telecommunications, organized labor, financial services, technology, internet gaming and medical marijuana industries. Just recently, Jim and Dave were joined by Dominque Miller, who’s providing government relations support for clients before the Philadelphia City Council and actively engaging in the city’s vibrant political scene.

With our State Attorneys General Practice’s January opening of a new office in Richmond, Va., and the addition of Richmond lobbyist Ashley Allen, we now have the capacity to serve clients in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well. And with Cozen O’Connor’s recent acquisition of the Los Angeles real estate and commercial litigation boutique firm Gilchrist & Rutter, we’ve welcomed two new Los Angeles-based government relations colleagues, Richard Close and Susy Forbath, to the Cozen O'Connor family.

As the face of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies continues to evolve and grow, we look forward to providing you with the trusted advocacy you’ve come to expect and rely on, with expanded services and capabilities at the federal, state and local level. We wish you and yours a happy New Year and look forward to continuing to work with you in 2018. 

Sincerely,

Howard Schweitzer & Mark Alderman