LONDON, 4 March 2014 – U.S.-based law firm Cozen O’Connor has today announced that two leading litigators in the insurance and reinsurance fields – Mark Meyer and Paul Dowsey – have joined its London office as members. The hires cap a significant, year-long expansion of the firm’s London team, with a total of three new members and one associate since January 2013 which have nearly doubled the firm’s partner presence in the UK.

Mark Meyer has joined Cozen O’Connor from international firm Edwards Wildman, and brings extensive aviation and aerospace reinsurance experience. He has a broad practice encompassing first party property damage and business interruption, directors' and officers' insurance, financial institutions professional indemnity, upstream energy/offshore, and accident and health business. He also has extensive experience with multi-party mediation, arbitration, Commercial Court litigation and ADR.

Paul Dowsey has also joined the firm, having previously been a partner at RPC. He has a focus on international facultative business with specific emphasis on mining, power generation, construction/engineering, industrial process, and down-stream oil and gas. He has also had extensive experience in handling matters in Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Far East, along with significant experience in international treaty reinsurance disputes.

Both have been ranked or recommended for their areas of practice by Chambers and the Legal 500, with Meyer described as having “outstanding knowledge of insurance and reinsurance with aviation" (Chambers 2013).

Bolstering the firm’s London presence

Cozen O’Connor has significantly expanded its London-based team through a number of important lateral hires across the insurance, re-insurance and commercial litigation fields since January 2013. These have included:

• Andrew Tobin was previously a member of the Global Insurance Department at Clyde & Co. Originally qualified as a barrister, he joined Cozen O’Connor in October 2013 and has represented the London market on multiple international insurance and reinsurance matters and coverage disputes, particularly in Latin America power and engineering sectors
• Stephen Ixer joined the team in January 2014 from international firm Edwards Wildman. He is experienced in complex coverage and claims litigation, as well as reinsurance matters. He has handled matters in Latin America as well as disputes before the High Court and in arbitration. Prior to the practice of law, Stephen spent several years in Venezuela working as a journalist and is fluent in Spanish.

Cozen O’Connor originally established a London presence in 1998, and the firm now spans a total of 23 offices across the United States, UK and Canada. Bringing together both English solicitors and registered US attorneys, the firm’s London office also serves as a key pillar of its renowned international Subrogation & Recovery Department, which has been advising clients in this detail-driven and complex area of law since the 1970s. Taken together, the recent hires have further enhanced the firm’s capability to serve the full range of complex needs for both US and UK-based players in the global insurance marketplace.

Simon Jones, Managing Partner of Cozen O’Connor’s London office, said:

“Individually, these lawyers are distinguished legal experts and significantly boost our insurance, reinsurance and commercial litigation capabilities – especially our Latin American offering and our expertise within the aviation, aerospace, energy and engineering sectors. Together, they are a major strategic asset and will help us consolidate and grow our insurance and litigation firepower. We are excited to welcome such first class individuals to help us firmly establish Cozen O’Connor as a major player in the London insurance and reinsurance market.”

Vincent R. McGuinness, Managing Partner of Cozen O’Connor worldwide, said:

“London is strategically important for Cozen O’Connor, particularly given our historic strength in the insurance sector and renowned expertise in areas such as subrogation. Acquiring these hires almost doubles our partner presence in the UK market. We look forward to our new arrivals becoming integral to the team, and to a strong 2014 which continues our trajectory of growth worldwide.”

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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.

About Cozen O’Connor in London

The London office of Cozen O'Connor opened in 1998 and is located in Fenchurch Street in the heart of the city's insurance market. The firm’s London office is a limited liability partnership and its members include English solicitors and registered U.S. attorneys. Their practice focuses on insurance and reinsurance coverage, subrogated recoveries and general commercial litigation.