Cozen O’Connor to merge with Moss & Barnett in January

Cozen O’Connor, a leading international law firm, will merge with Minneapolis firm Moss & Barnett effective Jan. 1, 2026. Both firms’ boards of directors and shareholders voted to approve the merger.

One of Minnesota’s oldest law firms, Moss & Barnett was founded in 1892. The firm has provided legal services to businesses, families, and individuals in Minnesota and beyond, with strengths in real estate, corporate, regulatory, intellectual property, energy & public utilities, litigation, finance, trusts & estates, and family law. Its Chambers-ranked energy & public utilities practice serves top tech and sustainability clients, while its family law and real estate teams feature nationally recognized attorneys.

“We’re excited to join forces with Cozen O’Connor. We’re both multidisciplinary, client-centered law firms that deliver seamless, team-based, custom counsel,” said Brian T. Grogan, Moss & Barnett’s president and CEO. “Both firms are regarded as innovators, and both are well-known for delivering outstanding value to our clients. Integrating our local expertise with Cozen O’Connor’s national resources and full suite of legal services will provide Minneapolis’ dynamic business community with a robust team capable of handling their most sophisticated legal matters.”

Cozen O’Connor is a relative newcomer to Minnesota. The firm was founded in 1970 in Philadelphia, and its Minnesota office opened in 2013. Before the merger, there was a Minneapolis team of 20 attorneys that advised clients across such areas as antitrust, bankruptcy & restructuring, corporate law, intellectual property, international trade, litigation, mergers & acquisitions, real estate finance & development, securities & financing, and sports law.

“Moss & Barnett’s century-long history of excellence and its deep community ties in a corporate hub like Minneapolis make it a perfect fit for Cozen O’Connor’s strategic vision for growth. 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. “We explored the possibility of a merger a decade ago, but the timing wasn’t right. 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.”

Grogan also noted the previous merger talks. “The firms explored a merger a decade ago, recognizing a great cultural fit and a lot of practice group synergies at that time,” said Grogan. “Although it did not proceed then, those initial talks laid the groundwork for renewed discussions and ultimately the current merger.”

With this merger, Cozen O’Connor expands its roster to more than 1,000 attorneys across 33 offices. It substantially increases its Midwestern presence as a result of this merger. With a Chicago office that has 50 attorneys, the firm’s Midwest team will now be more than 120.

The merger significantly strengthens the firm’s service offerings in the Midwest, especially in regulatory, transactional, and financial practices. It also boosts the nationally recognized real estate team to more than 100 attorneys firm-wide.

After the merger, the Minnesota office will be the fourth-largest of Cozen O’Connor’s 33 offices, following only Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Immediately after the merger, Cozen O’Connor will relocate to Moss & Barnett’s existing location at 150 S. Fifth St. in Minneapolis. This will be a temporary location, as Cozen O’Connor intends to find a new space to accommodate the combined group.