Lateral Additions Experienced in Product Liability, Class Actions, Securities and More
New York, October 15, 2013 – Cozen O’Connor continues to increase the depth of the firm’s litigation capabilities in New York with the recent hiring of five new partners. Partners residing in the firm's New York office who have joined in recent months include John J. Sullivan, Michael B. de Leeuw, Patrick B. Sardino, William K. Kirrane and Adam I. Stein.
“We are pleased to welcome this group, which strengthens our litigation capabilities in New York across a number of important areas,” said Cozen O'Connor CEO Michael J. Heller. “New York is a key market for us, and one we are committed to growing.” The firm currently has more than 90 attorneys practicing in New York.
“Our new colleagues are recognized for their experience in high-stakes commercial litigation in areas that include product liability, class actions, securities, bankruptcy, construction, employment, as well as insurance coverage,” said Jeffrey G. Weil, co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Section and chairman of the Commercial Litigation Department. “With this new group, our litigation team in New York now includes more than 40 attorneys, with experience in areas that span securities litigation to products liability.”
John J. Sullivan, who previously was a partner with Dechert and worked at Sullivan & Cromwell, has extensive experience in products liability defense, including pharmaceuticals and tobacco. He also has represented clients in class action matters, including mass tort and securities class actions, as well as consumer fraud, contract and corporate governance litigation. Resident in the New York office, Mr. Sullivan also will work from Cozen O'Connor’s Cherry Hill, N.J., office. He was recognized as a “future star” by Benchmark Litigation in its 2010 edition and as an “innovative lawyer” by the Financial Times in 2011. He earned his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif and was a two-time Saul Tischler Scholar.
Michael B. de Leeuw, who previously was a partner at Fried Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, focuses his complex litigation practice on securities, bankruptcy, antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, and defamation. He has successfully represented major companies in class action securities cases and disputes arising out of acquisitions; represented multiple hedge fund clients in several major bankruptcies; defended national organizations around the country against defamation claims; and defended the former CFO of a major pharmaceutical company in an action brought by the SEC. He has served as counsel of record in multiple U.S. Supreme Court cases, representing parties and amici curiae. An adjunct professor at Rutgers University School of Law, Mr. de Leeuw is active in bar and civic organizations.
Patrick B. Sardino concentrates his practice on complex contract disputes, labor law and construction matters, and has tried more than 40 cases to verdict. Along with his litigation work, he also counsels corporations and municipalities on general matters. In 1999, Mr. Sardino served in the New York State Attorney General’s Office as an assistant attorney general in the Litigation Bureau. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, graduating cum laude.
William K. Kirrane has more than a decade of litigation experience in complex claims, including construction defect, personal injury, products liability and aviation/transportation claims. He has also handled labor and employment cases, defending employers in claims based on racial discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Mr. Kirrane earned his J.D. from St. John's University and his bachelor's degree from Queens College. During law school, he co-authored “Media: Asset or Liability? An Argument for Holding the Media Liable for Invasion of Privacy” for the St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary.
Adam I. Stein is a member of the firm's Global Insurance Department and represents insurers in arbitrations, mediations and trials of complex, third-party liability claims stemming from product liability, environmental and other mass tort actions, natural catastrophes and director and officer liability claims. Formerly with Ropes & Gray, Mr. Stein earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where he was a member of the law review and the Moot Court Honor Society. He graduated cum laude from Vassar College.
About Cozen O'Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O'Connor has 575 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O'Connor serves its clients' needs through 23 offices across two continents.