CHICAGO – September 4, 2019 – Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies today welcomed three of Illinois’ best known and highly regarded government relations professionals — John F. Dunn, Darren Collier, and Patrick L. Carey. With these additions, Cozen O’Connor cements its top-tier lobbying presence in three of the largest cities in the United States — Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York — and the corresponding state capitals.

Dunn, Collier, and Carey each bring to the firm substantial, senior-level government relations experience at the city, county, and state level in Illinois. All three previously worked with Patrick G. Martin — who joined Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies last year to drive the firm’s Chicago-based government relations and public affairs expansion.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome John, Darren, and Pat to Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. I worked very closely with all three of them at our previous firm and they are rock solid additions to our team,” says Martin. “Each brings a unique government relations background and skill set to the table and together they enable us to fully service our clients at city hall in Chicago and at the state capitol in Springfield."

“We’ve been saying this for the past year, and it bears repeating — our goal is to be an one- stop shop for our clients and to grow our government relations practice in major cities and states,” says Howard Schweitzer, CEO of Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies. “John, Darren, and Pat bring impeccable track records, in both the public and private sectors. They also bring decades of experience working in the city of Chicago and Springfield. I’m very much looking forward to having them on our team”

Dunn, an attorney, joins Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as a managing director and Cozen O’Connor as a member.  In his nine years at McGuireWoods, he led the Illinois Government Relations group and developed a large and successful government relations practice representing companies before city and state government. His clients include major companies in the tech, aviation, transportation, health, manufacturing, and banking sectors. He has assisted several disruptive tech companies in dealing with regulatory, legislative and political hurdles. Dunn also has a significant public procurement practice and has helped clients win major city and state contracts.

Previously he served as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s director of Intergovernmental Affairs, reporting directly to the mayor and serving as his senior adviser on all legislative and political matters. Dunn served as the mayor’s liaison to all federal, state, and local elected officials; was responsible for the appointments to and relations with all city boards and commissions; and oversaw labor relations. As director of the city’s Springfield team, he passed many pieces of significant state legislation and gained an unparalleled understanding of the relationship between City Hall and Springfield.

Prior to his city experience, Dunn worked at two large Chicago law firms and as AT&T’s Midwest legislative attorney. He earned his J.D. at the University of California Hastings College of Law and his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame.  He served four years as a U.S. Navy officer.

Collier, also an attorney, joins Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as a principal and Cozen O’Connor as a member. He comes to the firm from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the world's largest options exchange, where he served as executive director of the state government relations team in Illinois.

He has also served as deputy general counsel and director of Government Affairs for the Illinois Housing Development Authority and as special assistant to former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan. He earned his J.D. at Capital University Law and Graduate Center and his B.A at Indiana University. Prior to joining CME, Collier was a senior vice president at McGuireWoods Consulting.

Carey — who joins Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as a principal — also previously served as a senior vice president at McGuireWoods. With his vast experience in economic development and procurement related matters, he assists clients with legislative and policy related matters in the city of Chicago and Cook County.

Previously Carey served as special assistant for governmental and legislative affairs to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, directing the president's legislative agenda before the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Prior to that he served as an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and held several other roles in city government. Carey earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago.

With the addition of Dunn, Collier, and Carey, Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies has added 13 senior level professionals in just over a year, including Matthew T. Glavin in Illinois, Joe Hill in Philadelphia, Thomas A. Lisk in Richmond, and former special assistant to the president for health policy Alexandra Campau in Washington, D.C.

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans across several industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 925 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 services its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.

# # #