PHILADELPHIA, October 17, 2019 — Michael Heller, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, was included in the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2019 Most Admired CEO list. The 26 honorees were selected from nearly 100 nominations across a scope of industries and include the CEOs of Childrens Hospital, Incyte Corp, Universal Health Services, Virtua, and American Water.   

Heller is a recognized leader in the representation of entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies and began his career as a young associate during the IPO craze of the late 1980s before joining Cozen O’Connor in 1994 as the firm's first transactional lawyer. During Heller’s 12 years in senior management, he has been a major force behind Cozen O’Connor’s transformational growth. From 2013, when Heller became CEO, through today, the number of attorneys at Cozen O’Connor has increased 40 percent and gross annual revenue has increased 60 percent. The firm’s geographic footprint, office count, client roster, partner profits, and revenue per lawyer have all grown in kind, as has the firm’s investment in cutting-edge technologies. In 2013, Cozen O’Connor ranked 101st on The American Lawyer’s annual ranking of the largest law firms; today it ranks 76th and climbing. It broke into the ranks of the Global 100 for the first time this year.

Heller, along with the other named CEOs, will be honored at a dinner reception at the Union League on December 3.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 825 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 32 offices across two continents.