Philadelphia-based national law firm whose Transportation and Trade group advises trucking companies, motor brokers, logistics providers and shippers on contracts, intermodal, regulatory and disputes.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Cozen O'Connor is a national law firm founded in Philadelphia in 1970. Its website lists more than 1,000 attorneys. Freight work sits mainly in its Transportation and Trade group, which the firm says has more than 20 attorneys with experience in maritime, aviation, logistics, intermodal and ground transport, and in its Transportation and Logistics Litigation practice.
Within the group, the Intermodal and Logistics practice advises on moving cargo across ocean, air and surface modes. The firm describes the team as industry lawyers and lists domestic trucking and motor broker companies, logistics providers, shippers, international ocean carriers, cargo airlines, trade associations and equipment pools among the clients it serves.
The group's strength is at the point where trucking meets ports, ocean carriers and intermodal equipment, which matters to drayage carriers, intermodal marketing companies and brokers that handle import and export freight.
Compare with other Transportation Attorneys providers: Clark Hill, Fox Rothschild and LegalShield, or see all Transportation Attorneys.
Services
Contracts and operations. The Intermodal and Logistics page lists negotiating contracts between maritime carriers, inland carriers, 3PLs and transportation brokers; agreements for moving cargo; equipment leasing and acquisition, equipment pooling and intermodal equipment interchange; and agreements with ports, terminals, depots and container yards.
Regulatory. The team provides regulatory advice and compliance strategy covering the Federal Maritime Commission, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Surface Transportation Board, along with licensing and registration.
Risk. It offers coverage and indemnity counseling.
Disputes. The practice represents clients in commercial litigation and in government inquiries and enforcement proceedings. The firm's separate Transportation and Logistics Litigation practice handles breach of contract, personal injury, environmental and commercial disputes and claims arising from transportation accidents, before state and federal courts, agencies and arbitration panels.
Trade. The broader group covers trade regulation, export controls and sanctions, which is relevant for forwarders and shippers moving international freight.
Who it is for
Cozen O'Connor's transportation work is a good match for companies whose freight touches more than one mode: drayage and intermodal carriers, brokers and 3PLs that handle port freight, and shippers with import and export programs. Its equipment interchange and port and terminal agreement work is specific to that part of the market.
Pure over-the-road truckload carriers and brokers with mainly domestic contract and claims questions can also use the firm, but should ask which attorneys handle trucking and broker matters day to day, since the group's published practice list leans toward maritime and intermodal.
Trade associations and equipment pools are also on the client list, which means the group is used to drafting industry-wide agreements and template terms. That experience can be useful for a company that wants standard terms it can use with many carriers or customers.
How working with them works
The firm does not publish fees on its website. Engagement typically starts with a conflict check and an engagement letter. The Intermodal and Logistics page names its team, including Geoffrey D. Ferrer, co-vice chair of Transportation and Trade, in New York; Stacey Normington, senior regulatory specialist, in Washington, D.C.; Christopher Raleigh in New York; Josh Stein in Washington, D.C.; and Kathryn Sobotta in Washington, D.C.
The group publishes alerts on topics such as sanctions affecting shipping, tariff rulings and maritime logistics disruptions, which can help shippers and forwarders track issues that affect their freight.
Because the group covers several modes, a first call should explain exactly where your freight moves and which agencies are involved, such as FMCSA for the truck leg and the Federal Maritime Commission for ocean or port charges. That helps the firm route the matter to the right attorney on the first try and avoids paying for time spent sorting out who should handle it.
Questions to ask before you sign
Who on the team handles domestic trucking and motor broker matters, as opposed to ocean and aviation work?
Do you represent any carrier, port, terminal or equipment provider on the other side of my matter?
What are your rates by attorney level, and can you quote a fixed fee for a defined project such as a broker-carrier contract or a UIIA review?
Which states are your attorneys admitted in, and which office would lead my matter?
If my dispute involves detention, demurrage or chassis charges, do you handle that at the Federal Maritime Commission, in court or both?
Company background
Wikipedia reports that Cozen O'Connor was founded in 1970 by Stephen A. Cozen and Patrick J. O'Connor and is headquartered at One Liberty Place in Philadelphia. The firm's website lists more than 1,000 attorneys and offices in more than 30 cities across North America and Europe.
Its Transportation and Trade group has more than 20 attorneys, and the firm says David Heffernan was named its chair in 2024. The group also covers aviation, cruise, maritime and drone matters.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
