Recent Publication:
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker Announces Plan to Make Chicago Quantum Technology Capital
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a plan to make Chicago a quantum technology capital at M-Hub, a business incubator on Chicago’s Near West Side that plays home to prototype shops and laboratories.
During his nine years at his previous firm, John 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. John 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. John 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, John 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.
News
March 05, 2024
Ira Bodenstein, Jack Carriglio, Janet Davis, John Dunn, Mitch Edlund, Wendy Enerson, Gary Gassman, Tia Ghattas, Jeremy Glenn, Erin Bolan Hines, Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Roberts, Brian Shaw, Joseph Tilson, Julie Trester, Peter Valeta, Anna Wermuth, and Brian Williams were recognized as Leading Lawyers, Christina Sanfelippo was recognized as an Emerging Lawyer.
March 02, 2022
The Leading Lawyers Network has named 22 Cozen O’Connor lawyers to its annual list of Illinois’ top practitioners and named one other as an Emerging Lawyer in its 2022 survey results.
January 26, 2021
The Leading Lawyers Network has named 24 Cozen O’Connor lawyers to its annual list of Illinois’ top practitioners and named two others as Emerging Lawyers in its 2021 survey results.
September 19, 2019
Cozen O'Connor welcomes three new lobbyists, John F. Dunn, Darren Collier, and Patrick L. Carey to the Public Strategies practice in Chicago.
September 04, 2019
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.
Publications
April 10, 2024
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker Announces Plan to Make Chicago Quantum Technology Capital
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a plan to make Chicago a quantum technology capital at M-Hub, a business incubator on Chicago’s Near West Side that plays home to prototype shops and laboratories.
March 27, 2024
LOS ANGELES — How Tech Sector Downturn has Hurt L.A. Office Market
The Los Angeles tech office space saw fourth-quarter leasing drop to 2.2 million square feet from nearly 3 million square feet the year before.
March 13, 2024
CHICAGO — CTA Calls on Private Companies to Submit Tech Solutions to Improve System
Last week, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) launched the CTA Innovation Studio — calling on private-sector companies to submit ideas that could solve some of the transit agency’s problems.
February 28, 2024
CHICAGO — Uber, Lyft Drivers Join Valentine’s Day Strike with Thousands Across Country
Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash drivers gathered at O’Hare Airport’s rideshare waiting lot on Valentine’s Day to kick off a strike that was held across multiple cities across the country, including in Philadelphia, Miami, and Los Angeles.
February 14, 2024
BOSTON — City Leading AI Industry
Boston-area companies are leading in the development of new artificial intelligence (AI) and managing data for AI use. A new report estimates that Boston’s expertise in tech and health industries and proximity to universities will allow it to make strides in lesser-known areas of AI.
January 31, 2024
CHICAGO — Chicago Rideshare Drivers Looking for Safety Solutions
Chicago Gig Alliance organizer Lori Simmons is leading the charge in demanding city officials take action in response to a rash of recent rideshare driver robberies on the city’s West Side.
January 17, 2024
Gig Economy & Technology
CHICAGO — After Latest Shooting, Rideshare Drivers Protest Outside Midway Airport for Change
January 03, 2024
BALTIMORE — Mayor Scott, BDE Introduce Free Public Wi-Fi Network
In December, Mayor Brandon Scott and the City’s Office of Broadband and Digital Equity (BDE) launched FreeBmoreWiFi, a citywide free public Wi-Fi network. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the initiative marks a significant milestone in the City’s commitment to digital equity and inclusive access to technology for residents.
December 13, 2023
BALTIMORE — New UpSurge CEO Bets on Baltimore, Tech
Tech entrepreneur Kory Bailey — who was recently named CEO of UpSurge, a nonprofit, professional ecosystem-building organization — spoke about his efforts to build a vibrant tech ecosystem in the city.
November 30, 2023
DETROIT — Electric Delivery Startup BrightDrop Becomes Part of GM
BrightDrop, a General Motors (GM) commercial electric vehicle startup formed in 2021, will no longer operate as a subsidiary and is now becoming part of GM itself.
November 17, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
CHICAGO — Harris School Introduces New Technology, Society Initiative
November 01, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
BALTIMORE — Baltimore Selected as Federal Tech Hub for AI, Biotechnology
October 18, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
BALTIMORE — AI to Help Baltimore Agencies Bridge Language Gaps
By year’s end, the City of Baltimore will be deploying a new AI-backed service to help 911 dispatchers communicate with callers in their native language without waiting for an interpreter.
October 05, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
CHICAGO — Chicago Government’s IT Infrastructure Inefficient to the Point of “Barely” Working, Consultant Tells City Council
August 23, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
CHICAGO — Chicago City Council to Consider Regulating Rideshares
August 10, 2023
Gig Economy & Technology
CHICAGO — Google Plans to Open in Thompson Center by 2026; Will Tech Giant Help Revitalize the Loop?
July 26, 2023
Throughout the country, large municipalities are laboratories of democracy. New and innovative policies introduced in one market are often exported to others, and ultimately replicated at the state and federal level. This newsletter highlights emerging local policy and regulatory discussions that impact industries, businesses, and organizations across the nation.
July 12, 2023
The article discusses a variety of topics regarding tech, labor, policy and politics, public health, real estate, taxes, and transportation happening in major cities across the U.S.
June 29, 2023
DETROIT — Detroit Program Teaches Residents Tech Fundamentals, How to Find High-Paying Jobs
May 31, 2023
BOSTON — Running List of Layoffs in Boston Tech Sector
The Boston Globe has begun tracking layoffs at tech companies in the region.
May 19, 2023
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Announces Apprenticeship Program to Create, Grow Technology Talent in City Government, Improve City Services
Now former-Mayor Lori Lightfoot and various city departments announced an apprenticeship program to develop and maintain a pipeline of technology talent for the City of Chicago.
May 04, 2023
Baltimore District 8 City Councilmember Kristerfer Burnet has introduced legislation that would limit the use of facial recognition technology. The goal of the two bills is to protect privacy and promote transparency and accountability.
April 19, 2023
The New York Police Department (NYPD) recently announced a series of high-tech security, including a robotic “digidog” to be used in life-threatening situations.
April 05, 2023
The city will be providing paid sick and safe leave for most gig workers, who will accrue a day of paid sick leave for every 30 days they do work in Seattle.
March 22, 2023
Chicago will begin testing parking enforcement technology and smart loading zones following an ordinance the City Council passed March 15. The technology will automatically issue tickets for parking or standing violations in areas with posted signs, such as bike lanes and commercial loading zones.
March 10, 2023
Concessions workers at the United Center staged a one-day walkout Sunday that affected food and beverage service during the afternoon’s Chicago Bulls game.
February 22, 2023
On the evening of February 2, Chicago rideshare drivers gathered outside the Copernicus Center on the city’s Northwest Side, braving extremely cold and windy weather, to demand better working conditions, wages and benefits.
February 10, 2023
Rideshare and delivery drivers in Chicago are calling for an ordinance that guarantees their right to appeal before being permanently kicked off the app they use for their jobs. The proposed ordinance would offer a means for app drivers accused of misconduct to tell their side of the story and recoup lost income if they were found to be unfairly deactivated.
January 11, 2023
The University of Chicago is stepping up its efforts to create more startups, committing more than $20 million to launch three new accelerators focused on deep technology such as data science, artificial intelligence, clean technology and life sciences—areas where the university excels but for which funding often is hardest to find.
December 21, 2022
For more than a year, the California voter-approved gig economy law known as Proposition 22 has hung in the balance after a judge invalidated the ballot initiative allowing giant ride-hailing and delivery companies to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. On Tuesday, a California appeals court heard oral arguments in San Francisco on whether it should uphold the lower court ruling that deemed Proposition 22 unconstitutional and unenforceable.
December 14, 2022
Massachusetts’ Energy Facilities Sitting Board approved a special permit for a controversial electrical substation in East Boston. The permit allows the project to circumvent 14 final environmental permits. 84% of Boston voters voted against the substation in a non-binding ballot question last year.
November 11, 2022
Driverless car company Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, said October 19 that it plans to add autonomous taxi fleet operations to Los Angeles. “L.A. is in the top three ride-hailing markets in the United States and globally,” said Saswat Panigrahi, the company’s chief product officer. “The commercial opportunity is huge.”
October 26, 2022
In yet another pre-election sweetener, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city is expanding its parental leave policy, effective Jan. 1, to allow all 32,000 city employees up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave whether they are the “birthing or non-birthing parent.”
October 05, 2022
Multinational aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman has expanded its presence in the Baltimore area with its new, 55,000-square-foot Maryland Space Assembly and Test 2 facility.
September 21, 2022
Throughout the country, large municipalities are laboratories of democracy. New and innovative policies introduced in one market are often exported to others, and ultimately replicated at the state and federal level. This newsletter highlights emerging local policy and regulatory discussions that impact industries, businesses, and organizations across the nation.