Paul K. Leary, Jr.

Co-Vice Chair, Business Litigation

Highly regarded as an experienced and distinguished trial attorney, Paul has consistently and aggressively advocated for clients in handling complex litigation matters on behalf of multinational companies.  He has secured landmark victories in high stakes cases for his long-time clients in the hospitality, transportation, construction, retail, private equity, and product manufacturing industries.  Paul currently serves as vice chair of the firm’s Business Litigation Group and on the firm’s board of directors.

In more than 25 years of practice with Cozen O’Connor, Paul has secured numerous defense verdicts in high-exposure product liability, construction, transportation, dietary supplement, complex commercial, and mass tort/class action trials. He has successfully mediated, arbitrated, and tried multiparty complex litigation matters, mass tort cases, and class actions in the toughest state and federal court jurisdictions in the country. In the past two years alone, Paul successfully tried 12 cases in some of the most difficult venues across the United States. 

In addition to these successes, Paul is most proud of the longstanding relationships he has developed with his clients and is grateful for their enduring trust and loyalty. Their unwavering support is a testament to Paul’s dedication and tenacity to achieve successful results.

Recent noteworthy achievements include the following: appointed as lead trial counsel for all litigation arising from construction of Pennsylvania’s tallest skyscraper (Comcast Technology Center); appointed as lead trial counsel for Temple University Health System’s medical malpractice legal team; successfully defended a propeller manufacturer in a three-week trial in a case of first impression; secured a decisive victory for a multinational hotel corporation in connection with the bombing of an Islamabad hotel; secured a seven-figure verdict for a terminal owner resulting from an oil spill in the Los Angeles harbor; defended a company implicated in a $60 million claim for alleged contamination of a hospital sterilization unit; and secured a defense verdict for a national transportation company in a three-week, seven-figure trial. Paul also led the defense of mass tort litigation involving dietary supplements and represented a private equity firm in claims against fraudulent corporate sellers.

Paul’s national reputation as a trial lawyer has resulted in him being appointed as national litigation and coordinating counsel to well-known Fortune 500 companies. He understands his clients’ industries and operations and partners with clients to develop effective risk management protocols, emergency response systems, and coordinated litigation/trial strategies. Paul currently serves as national dram shop counsel to a restaurant conglomerate, trying high exposure cases throughout the United States. He also serves as national trial counsel to the largest distributor of exterior and interior building products in the United States.

Paul received his undergraduate degree from Fairfield University where he was captain of the hockey team and was awarded the Eastern College Athletic Conference Medal of Merit for excellence in sports and in the classroom. After several years in the corporate world as a claims executive at a global insurance company, Paul attended Pace University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1998. Paul is a graduate of the FBI's Honors Intern Program and earned a trial certificate from the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy at Stanford Law School.

Paul is a member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Police Foundation, Police Athletic League (PAL), and Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS). He is a director on the Membership Development Committee for Philadelphia Country Club and served as coach and mentor for the Haverford Hawks ice hockey program. Outside of work, Paul coaches and watches his three children play lacrosse and he is an avid golfer.

Experience

News

Cozen O’Connor Trial Team Led by Paul Leary Named to Top 20 Verdicts in California 2020 List

May 14, 2021

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce that a trial team led by Paul Leary has been chosen as a winner of one of the Top 20 Verdicts in California in 2020.

Cozen O’Connor Wins Major Lawsuits Involving Philadelphia’s Comcast II Tower Project and a California Oil Spill

February 24, 2020

Cozen O’Connor today announced it has secured major wins in two high-profile commercial litigation cases, one in Pennsylvania and the other in California.

Fifty-four Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

June 12, 2018

Super Lawyers has named 54 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Paul Leary Named to Board of Directors of PAL and BLOCS

March 31, 2015

Paul Leary, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation Department, has recently been named to the Board of Directors of both the Police Athletic League (PAL) and the Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS).

Cozen O’Connor’s Paul Leary Named To Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”

May 01, 2009

Cozen O’Connor’s Paul Leary Named To Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”

Publications

Summer 2008 [Commercial Disputes Observer]

July 27, 2008

Summer 2008 - Commercial Disputes Observer -

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Managing Litigation in a Family Context

June 05, 2019 - Boston, Massachusetts

Critical Issues in Litigation – 2016

November 03, 2016 - New York, NY

Critical Issues in Litigation – 2015

May 20, 2015 - New York, NY

IADC: Arbitration 101

December 06, 2011 - Webinar

Industry Sectors

Education

  • Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, J.D., 1998
  • Fairfield University, B.S., 1992

Awards & Honors

 "Irish Legal 100" - 2015-2019

“Pennsylvania Super Lawyer – Rising Star” by Law & Politics - 2007. This award is conferred by Super Lawyers. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) - accepted for membership, 2008

40 Under 40 receipt by the Philadelphia Business Journal -  2009

Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers - 2012-2017. This award is conferred by Super Lawyers. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Court Of Common Pleas - Philadelphia County
  • New York Supreme Court
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
  • Superior Court of New Jersey
  • Superior Court of Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court -- Western District of Pennsylvania
  • American Bar Association
  • Defense Research and Trial Lawyers Association
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
  • Philadelphia Bar Association