PHILADELPHIA, February 18, 2025 — Chambers Global has recognized five Cozen O’Connor attorneys as worldwide leaders in their respective practices. Geoffrey Ferrer, Shane Hardy, Michael Osborne, Melissa Siebert, and Steven Weisz were ranked in their practice areas based on their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness and client service. In addition, Chambers Global has recognized Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment Practice in the United States.
The annual Chambers Global rankings are based on client and peer references from around the world as well as information gathered from Chambers’ own independent research. “Geoffrey, Shane, Michael, Melissa, and Steven being honored by Chambers Global exemplifies the firm’s commitment to expanding our reach with the best practitioners,” said Cozen O’Connor Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Heller. “We are thrilled they are recognized globally for the work they do at our firm.”
Geoffrey Ferrer, co-managing partner of the New York office and co-vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Transportation & Trade Practice, has been ranked in the Chambers USA since 2014. In the global rankings he is recognized for his General Business Law work in the Marshall Islands and his Shipping practice in Liberia and the United States. He is the author of the "Judicial Sales and Priority of Liens - United States," chapter in the Maritime Law Handbook. Best Lawyers named Ferrer New York Transportation Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2020 and 2023. This is the seventh year Ferrer has been recognized by Chambers Global.
Shane Hardy, chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Canadian Intellectual Property Practice Group, has an extensive trademark practice and is one of the few Canadian practitioners recognized for his experience in both contentious proceedings and commercial transactions relating to intellectual property. Equally adept at both dispute and transactional matters, Hardy frequently represents well-known brands needing advice in acquiring branded businesses, licensing, enforcement, and trademark protection. Major international corporations and successful domestic businesses rely on his counsel for all aspects of their intellectual property needs. He has been recognized similarly by Managing Intellectual Property, World Intellectual Property Review, and the World Trademark Review Top 1000. This is the sixth year he has been ranked by Chambers Global.
Michael Osborne, chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Canadian Competition Practice, has been ranked in Chambers Global for 12 years. He focuses his practice on competition, regulatory, corruption, complex commercial litigation, and arbitration. He advises and represents clients involved in competition and regulatory inquiries, criminal and administrative prosecutions, class-actions and other competition litigation and disputes. He has acted as trial and appellate counsel before all levels of court across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has tried several cases before the Competition Tribunal and appeared as counsel before arbitral tribunals in international and domestic arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc. Osborne has also been recognized by Best Lawyers, Who’s Who, Martindale-Hubbell, and Lexpert.
Melissa Siebert, chair of the firm’s Emerging Data Privacy Trends practice, represents clients nationwide in privacy and data-related class actions, “mass” and individual arbitrations, and individual litigation in federal and state courts, including cases involving Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA), the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), and claims involving pixels, cookies, and website analytics, as well as the recent surge in “trap and trace” litigation. Her team is at the forefront of defending litigation based on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and currently are defending several AI-based class actions. This is Siebert’s first time on the Chambers Global Rankings.
Steven Weisz, managing partner of the Toronto office, concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and insolvency law. Bringing over three decades of experience, he guides his clients through all aspects of complex domestic and multinational insolvencies. He regularly represents purchasers of distressed debt and assets, debtors, directors, court-appointed officers, and major stakeholders of insolvent businesses — often, on an urgent basis. Weisz is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, an editor of the National Creditor Debtor Review, and past president of the Toronto Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Weisz has been ranked in Chambers Global since 2009.
Chambers Global recognition of Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment Department reaffirms the depth and continued growth of the practice to more than 80 attorneys, practicing in every region of the United States and in Canada.
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 30 offices across two continents.
###