Minneapolis, MN–September 13, 2022 – Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies welcomes John Reich — a highly regarded Minnesota-based government relations professional with nearly two decades of government and private sector experience — to Cozen O’Connor’s Minneapolis office. Reich joins the organization as a senior principal, further expanding Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ midwest presence.

Reich comes to the firm from Minnesota-based Winthrop and Weinstein, where he served as Director of Government Relations for eight years. Over his career, he has cultivated long-term, strategic relationships with the Minnesota Governor’s Office, the state legislature, state regulatory bodies, and a range of key private and public stakeholders, all of which have benefitted his many clients in the health care, insurance, banking, energy, gaming, and telecom sectors.  

“John brings an impeccable government relations track record and is the ideal candidate to lead our expansion into Minneapolis-St. Paul,” said Howard Schweitzer, CEO of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. “Like many states, Minnesota’s economy is in the midst of a post-pandemic recovery. While new business investment and productivity are on the upswing, there are still many challenges and uncertainties. John is well-suited to help our clients protect their business interests and keep the state’s economic recovery moving forward.”

Cozen O’Connor opened its Minneapolis office in 2013 with eight attorneys from Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP. Since then, the office has grown to a full-service office with 20 attorneys practicing real estate, private equity, capital markets and securities, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, international, customs imports and trade remedies, intellectual property, commercial litigation, class actions, and antitrust. “In less than a decade, Cozen O’Connor has cultivated a politically active legal presence in Minnesota,” said Thomas Wallrich, Office Managing Partner in Minneapolis. “The addition of John means we can now offer our clients direct government relations assistance in the state capitol.”

Most recently, Reich led a successful effort to pass a $46.2 million appropriation for one of Minnesota’s tribal communities to become a net-zero energy consumer, helped negotiate and pass into law compromise language with the Minnesota Department of Commerce on continuing education reform, assisted with the passage of licensing and Medicaid reimbursement reform on behalf of health care provider clients, and helped pass the state’s Natural Gas Innovation Act on behalf of a major U.S. energy provider — making Minnesota the first state to do so within the client’s 25-state service area.

“Our clients look to us as strategic partners who bring not only an understanding of how government works but a strong business acumen to help them address their most critical challenges,” said Patrick G. Martin, Managing Director at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies in Chicago, who has led the company’s expansion into the Midwest since 2018. “John’s been doing just that for almost two decades and with great success. Given our tremendous growth in Chicago over the last four years to become one of the largest government relations groups in Illinois, entering the Minnesota market, where we already have an active law firm presence, is a natural next step for our business. I am thrilled to welcome John to Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies to lead our expansion in Minneapolis-St. Paul.”

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies entered the Midwest market in 2018 when Patrick Martin joined the group from McGuireWoods Consulting. The six-person Midwest team is now a multimillion-dollar practice representing clients in Chicago, Springfield, Illinois, and now Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Reich’s previous roles include the chief lobbyist for the Minnesota Dept. of Commerce, which regulates more than 20 industries, including insurance, securities, banking, and utilities, and serving as chief administrator to the Minnesota House of Representatives House Commerce and Labor Committee. Reich also served in various leadership roles with state agencies assisting in the implementation of health insurance reform efforts.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to leverage the multi-state reach, regulatory expertise, and federal assets that Cozen O‘Connor Public Strategies brings to the table,” Reich said. “Being able to draw upon that level of support will allow me to assist my clients further as they tackle increasingly complex legislative and regulatory issues.”

Reich’s community service includes serving as a member of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee, a board member with the National Sports Center Foundation, a past commissioner with the St. Paul Planning Commission, and a past board member with the St. Paul Neighborhood Sales Tax Revitalization (STAR) Board.

Reich earned his B.A. in political science and German studies at the University of Minnesota.

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, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Minneapolis, 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 multiple industries, including health care, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 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 serves its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.