Patrick Martin, principal and Midwest director of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, has been named to the 2020 Crain’s Chicago Business “40 under 40” list.
For over 30 years, Crain’s “40 under 40” list has highlighted Chicago’s most accomplished young business, nonprofit, government, and cultural leaders and their profound impact on the Chicago business community. Martin joins a select group of “40 under 40” recipients that over the years has included former President Barack Obama (’93), Oprah Winfrey (’89), former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel (’90), and Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker (’00), as well as Fortune 500 CEOs, influential entrepreneurs, artists, and civic leaders.
Recognized for his professional, civic, and charitable contributions, Martin is among the honorees featured in a special section of the November 9 Crain’s Chicago Business print and November 6 online editions.
“The 40 under 40 list is made up of the most impressive group of business executives in Chicago and none has yet celebrated their 40th birthday,” said Jan Parr, Crain’s Chicago Business Assistant Managing Editor. “Patrick is honored among a group of people from the wide range of industries we cover — including technology, consumer products, real estate, health care, finance, law, and government — who are proven leaders in their fields.”
Working out of Cozen O’Connor’s Chicago office, Martin directs the firm’s government relations and public advocacy efforts in the Midwest. His practice focuses on advising large national and international companies in the health care, energy, financial services, retail, transportation, cannabis, and higher-education industries, helping them to manage their most complex government affairs matters and distinguishing himself by providing sophisticated advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels.
Martin has greatly expanded representation of the firm’s Chicago-based clients in Washington, D.C., receiving recognition from “The Hill” as one of their “Top Lobbyists of 2018” and again in 2019 in the “Hired Guns” category.
“To service such an impressive roster of clients across so many formidable venues, Patrick built a team from the ground up, recruiting recognized talent from his hometown and creating one of the most successful government relations and public affairs practices in Chicago,” said Michael J. Heller, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cozen O’Connor. “Patrick’s team represents marquee clients in virtually every major policy area, and he has helped make Cozen O’Connor a true political force in Illinois. His contributions to our firm have been outstanding, and he is extremely deserving of this prestigious honor.”
Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor, Martin spent several years at another national law and consulting firm where he rose to become the youngest senior vice president in that firm’s history. During that time, he also worked closely with former Indiana Governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh. Martin advised Bayh for nearly a decade both as a legislative staffer in his U.S. Senate office and as a counselor at two Am Law 100 firms. Martin also worked in the Obama Administration as a White House intern and later as a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Since returning to Chicago in 2018, Martin has been reconnecting with those organizations that have meant the most to him. He is a longtime member of the University of Illinois Alumni Association, participating in local clubs in both Chicago and in Washington, D.C. — counseling students and interns on how to best pursue careers in government and public policy. He also serves on the Junior Board of Catholic Charities of Chicago and was most recently named to the organization’s Government Relations Executive Board.
Martin graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (B.S. 2009, international, resource and consumer economics) where he was an Illinois General Assembly Scholar. He is a native of both Fox River Grove and St. Charles, Ill. He graduated from St. Charles East High School in 2005 where he was one of two Illinois delegates to the annual U.S. Senate Youth Program in Washington D.C. He currently resides in Glen Ellyn, Ill., with his wife Caitlin and their two children, Lucy and George.
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.
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.
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