In a powerful move that cements its growing dominance across the Midwest, Cozen O’Connor LLP announced Monday it will merge with Minneapolis-based Moss & Barnett, a storied law firm with more than a century of legacy. The combination, effective January 2026, will add over 50 attorneys to Cozen’s ranks — pushing its total headcount past 1,000 lawyers worldwide.
The boards and shareholders of both firms have approved the deal, marking a strategic leap for Cozen O’Connor, founded in Philadelphia and known for its steady nationwide expansion.
“This combination advances our commitment to deepen our presence across the Midwest, a strategically important region for the firm and our clients,” said Michael J. Heller, Cozen O’Connor’s chairman and CEO.
A Decade-Long Vision Realized
The union between the two firms was a decade in the making. Discussions of a potential merger first surfaced around 2013, when Cozen opened its Minneapolis office. But the timing wasn’t right — until now.
“When we resumed these discussions recently, we were immediately reminded of our many shared cultural and practice synergies that have contributed to each firm’s success,” Heller explained.
The merger now rekindles that vision, merging Moss & Barnett’s deep Minnesota market presence with Cozen’s national platform and client network.
Expanding Expertise and Practice Power
With Moss & Barnett’s attorneys joining, Cozen O’Connor gains an expanded bench of talent across a wide spectrum of legal specialties — from real estate, corporate, and intellectual property law to energy, public utilities, litigation, regulatory and government affairs, family law, and estate planning.
The Minneapolis office will immediately become Cozen’s fourth largest of its 33 locations, trailing only Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C. The firm plans to relocate its Minneapolis operations to Moss & Barnett’s current office while scouting a new space to house the combined team.
“We’re excited to join forces with Cozen O’Connor,” said Brian T. Grogan, president and CEO of Moss & Barnett. “Both firms share a multidisciplinary, client-centered culture. Integrating our local expertise with Cozen’s national resources creates a powerhouse team ready to serve Minneapolis’ dynamic business community.”
A Measured Growth Strategy
Cozen O’Connor’s growth story has been one of consistent expansion and calculated acquisitions. From 763 U.S.-based lawyers in 2020 to 832 by 2024, the firm’s headcount has steadily climbed — largely through organic growth and lateral additions rather than large-scale mergers.
Between 2016 and 2021, Cozen was on an acquisition spree, adding boutique firms in Miami, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Philadelphia, and Boca Raton. But the firm had gone quiet on the merger front for nearly four years before this announcement.
The new combination marks a return to form — and fittingly, it arrives exactly 10 years after Cozen’s major 2016 Midwest expansion through its acquisition of Chicago-based Meckler Bulger Tilson, a 60-lawyer firm with offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco.
A Bold Step Into the Future
For Cozen O’Connor, the Moss & Barnett merger represents more than a numerical milestone — it’s a strategic bridge between heritage and innovation, uniting two firms with shared values and ambitions.
By adding local insight to national muscle, the newly combined firm is poised to handle the Midwest’s most complex legal challenges — from energy regulation to corporate expansion — while deepening relationships with clients across industries.
With its sights firmly set on sustainable, client-driven growth, Cozen O’Connor’s latest merger signals a new era — one built on collaboration, expansion, and a vision that has finally come full circle.
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