PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 — Vincent McGuinness, president and managing partner of the firm, has been recognized by The Legal Intelligencer as a 2021 Professional Excellence Award winner in the Distinguished Leaders category. This award specifically honors those who achieved impressive results in the past year and demonstrated excellent leadership skills.

Since McGuinness became president and managing partner in 2013, attorney headcount has increased 40 percent. Over this past year, McGuinness convened the firm’s COVID Task Force, which met daily. He spearheaded the transition to remote work and oversaw technology procurement, trainings, and staffing, while also working one-on-one with an infectious disease specialist from Johns Hopkins to develop safety protocols. McGuinness also provided leadership to the broader legal community, particularly through the Philadelphia Bar Association. He co-chaired the Large Law Firm Management Committee and joined the COVID Re-entry Task Force, founded to share best practices and resources among peer firms. For his extraordinary efforts to support the association and it member firms, McGuinness and Cozen O’Connor received the organization’s inaugural “Champion of the Bar Award.” McGuinness not only led the firm’s logistical and administrative response to the challenges of this last year, but also became the person to whom the entire Cozen O’Connor community looked for comfort and reassurance.

The Professional Excellence Awards hosted by The Legal Intelligencer recognizes attorney achievements across the Pennsylvania legal community in numerous categories, including In-House Impact, Lawyers on the Fast Track, Power Players, Best Mentors, Legal Innovators, Unsung Heroes, and Most Effective Deal Makers.