Stephen A Cozen

Stephen A Cozen
Born	1939 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	December 19, 2024 (aged 85) Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Steve Cozen
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania (BA, 1961; JD, 1964)
Occupation(s)	Attorney; law firm founder and chairman
Years active	1964–2024
Known for	Founder and longtime chairman of Cozen O’Connor; complex insurance and commercial litigation; 9/11 civil litigation
Spouse	Sandra "Sandy" (née Wexler) Cozen
Children	3
Awards	Only in America Humanitarian Award (2024); Philadelphia Business Journal Legend of the Bar (2021); Drexel LeBow Business Leader of the Year (2012)

Stephen A Cozen (c. 1939 – December 19, 2024) was an American attorney, business leader, and philanthropist best known as the founder and longtime chairman of Cozen O’Connor, one of the largest law firms in the United States. Over a six-decade career, Stephen A Cozen developed a national reputation in complex insurance and commercial litigation, helped grow his firm from a four-lawyer boutique to a global practice with more than 900 attorneys, and served on civic and cultural boards across Philadelphia and beyond. He was also recognized for leading and supporting high-impact public-interest cases and philanthropic initiatives, including work connected to the civil litigation arising from the September 11 attacks and leadership roles with the USC Shoah Foundation and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

Early life and education

Stephen A Cozen was born in South Philadelphia and later raised in Wynnefield (Wynnewood), Pennsylvania, the eldest child of Jean and Samuel D. Cozen, a celebrated basketball coach at Overbrook High School and Drexel University. A multi-sport athlete, he played baseball and basketball at the University of Pennsylvania while earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1961, before graduating with honors from Penn Law in 1964. He credited his father’s example of discipline and fairness for shaping his approach to law and leadership. Cozen was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1964 and later admitted before multiple federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Legal career and the founding of Cozen O’Connor

After law school, Stephen A Cozen began practicing insurance litigation with his uncle, Sidney Orlofsky. In 1970 he formally co-founded the firm that would become Cozen O’Connor, initially a four-lawyer shop focused on subrogation and recovery work. In 1973, litigator Patrick J. O’Connor joined, helping to catalyze the firm’s growth and diversify its practice. Over subsequent decades, under Cozen’s leadership as chairman, the firm expanded across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, ultimately surpassing 900 attorneys in more than 30 cities and earning national recognition in litigation, business law, and government relations. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Cozen’s own practice focused on complex disputes and appellate strategy. He was widely regarded as a meticulous trial strategist and appellate advocate and was elected a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He was frequently cited by courts and legal publications for his writings and lectures on insurance and commercial litigation topics. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Notable matters

In private practice, Stephen A Cozen and his teams handled numerous high-profile matters, including litigation related to the Three Mile Island nuclear incident, the Hyatt Regency Kansas City walkway collapse, and the One Meridian Plaza high-rise fire in Philadelphia, among others. He also prevailed in a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case affecting the tax-exempt status of Girard College.

Following the September 11 attacks, Cozen directed civil actions on behalf of insurers and families that sought to hold alleged material sponsors of al-Qaeda financially liable, including suits involving Saudi Arabia and others. The firm’s September 11 litigation, initiated in 2003 and extended through subsequent filings, became one of the most consequential terrorism-related civil cases pursued by private parties in U.S. courts. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Leadership style and firm culture

Peers and colleagues often pointed to Stephen A Cozen’s culture-building and preparation as central to Cozen O’Connor’s trajectory. Accounts from the firm and contemporaneous profiles depict an executive who emphasized exhaustive fact-gathering, mentorship, and a client-service ethic that blended entrepreneurial growth with professional standards. His approach supported the firm’s expansion from its insurance-litigation roots into a full-service platform spanning corporate, regulatory, and government-relations practices while maintaining a robust national insurance practice. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Philanthropy and civic involvement

Beyond his legal work, Stephen A Cozen was a prominent philanthropist and civic leader. He served as chair of the Board of Councilors of the USC Shoah Foundation from 2015 to 2019 and helped lead a capital campaign that raised approximately $100 million for genocide research and education. He also served as first vice-chair (later board leader) of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and sat on the President’s Leadership Council of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

At his alma mater, Penn Carey Law, he served on the Board of Advisors for decades (Member, 1985–2010; Emeritus, 2010–2024) and supported initiatives across the law school and university. In 2003, Cozen O’Connor endowed the Stephen A. Cozen Professor of Law Chair—the law school’s first endowed professorship established by a law firm. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Closer to home, Stephen A Cozen founded the Samuel D. Cozen Memorial Fund in honor of his father and established the Samuel D. Cozen Police Athletic League (PAL) Center at 17th and Brown Streets in Philadelphia, which today serves thousands of young people with athletics and enrichment programs. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Honors and recognition

Stephen A Cozen’s professional and civic achievements earned recognition from legal and community organizations. He was named the Philadelphia Business Journal’s sole Legend of the Bar honoree in 2021, reflecting decades of influence in the region’s legal community. In 2024, the Weitzman Museum presented him with its inaugural Only in America Humanitarian Award for contributions to Jewish American life and education. His alma maters and local institutions frequently acknowledged his service and philanthropy; Drexel University named him Business Leader of the Year in 2012, and the Philadelphia Bar Association issued a formal memorial resolution at his passing in 2024. He was also listed in Best Lawyers in America and held fellowships in elite trial-law organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Professional affiliations

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers; Senior Fellow, Advisory Board, Litigation Counsel of America.
• Board service and leadership roles with the USC Shoah Foundation; Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History; Penn Carey Law; Philadelphia Foundation; and other civic institutions. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}

Personal life

Stephen A Cozen married Sandra (“Sandy”) Wexler, whom he met as a teenager; the couple were married for 63 years and had three daughters: Sheri Cozen Resnik, Lori Cozen Rosenberg, and Cathi Cozen (Snyder). He is also survived by seven grandchildren and his sister, Ellen Scarcelle. An avid supporter of Philadelphia sports and Penn Athletics, Cozen remained closely connected to the city’s civic life throughout his career. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

Death and legacy

Stephen A Cozen died on December 19, 2024, in Boca Raton, Florida, at the age of 85. Tributes from the legal profession, cultural institutions, and civic leaders emphasized his dual legacy as a “force of nature” litigator and a builder of durable civic and educational institutions. Penn Carey Law, where he served for decades as an advisor and benefactor, described him as “an extraordinary individual whose legacy will forever be woven into the fabric” of the school and the region’s legal community. The firm he founded, Cozen O’Connor, stated it would honor and continue the culture of preparation, mentorship, and service that he championed. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

See also

• Cozen O’Connor
• USC Shoah Foundation
• Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
• Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

External links

• Cozen O’Connor firm biography for Stephen A. Cozen (archived and memorial) –

https://www.cozen.com/people/bios/cozen-stephen

• Penn Carey Law memorial notice –

https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/17402-remembering-stephen-cozen-c61-l64