Philadelphia – November 10, 2020 – Suzanne Mayes, co-chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Business Law Department and co-chair of the firm’s Public & Project Finance Practice, has been selected as a 2020 Freda Johnson Trailblazing Women in Public Finance by the Northeast Women in Public Finance and The Bond Buyer.

The annual award recognizes one woman in the private sector and one in the public sector who exemplify the qualities that Freda Johnson, who served as public finance division head at Moody’s Investors Service, brought to the industry as a trailblazer, leader, innovator, and mentor.

“I am thrilled to be receiving the award,” said Mayes. “Especially in a year when everyone had to come together to continue the important work in the industry. The challenges me and others in this industry face have made the work all the more rewarding.”

Mayes serves as bond counsel, underwriters' counsel, borrower’s counsel, and disclosure counsel to a wide range of public, for-profit, and not-for-profit clients. She has completed numerous housing financings for state housing authorities; acted as co-bond counsel in connection with the financing of stadiums; counseled issuers on large-scale general obligation borrowings, student loan bond financings, and airport and toll road issuances; assisted state government with the issuance of unemployment compensation funding revenue bonds; and provided counsel to government entities in connection with public-private and public-public partnerships.

Mayes has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America in 2020 and as its Philadelphia Lawyer of the Year for Public Finance Law for 2021. She was elected to the American College of Bond Counsel in 2016 and in 2010, she was recognized as one of the “Most Powerful and Influential Women in Pennsylvania” by the National Diversity Council.

About Cozen O'Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 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 serves its clients’ needs through 32 offices across two continents.