Cozen O’Connor today welcomed commercial litigator Miguel Alexander Pozo, who brings 20-plus years of experience litigating commercial and business disputes with an emphasis on matters involving brand protection, trademark enforcement, and employment law, to its Commercial Litigation Group. Pozo comes to the firm from Duane Morris LLP’s Atlanta office and joins Cozen O’Connor’s Minneapolis office as a member.
A former deputy general counsel and head of U.S. litigation at Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA), Pozo will assist with the strategic growth of the Minneapolis office. His track record includes guiding and representing business clients in a wide range of industries, including the luxury, retail/consumer goods, and automobile industries, among others. He regularly handles a diverse range of business matters, from employment disputes to unfair competition to breach of contract cases.
“A commercial litigator with the business acumen, what Miguel brings to the table is a valuable commodity,” says Jeffrey G. Weil, chair of the Commercial Litigation Department. “As a former in-house lawyer, he has experience assessing and explaining risk to senior-level corporate executives. In addition to representing clients in court when commercial disputes arise, he can help them develop new business strategies that will prevent the disputes from re-occurring.”
As part of his brand protection and Intellectual Property practice, Pozo has helped some of the world’s most iconic brands protect their IP rights from attack and infringement. His background also includes handling a range of employment law disputes such as wrongful terminations, discrimination matters, reductions in force, and managing corporate-level internal investigations. Pozo has represented several high-profile clients in the luxury goods industry including LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Inc., Hublot, TAG Heuer, Thomas Pink, Mercedes-Benz, and Christian Dior, among others. Pozo who previously practiced in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Georgia, has relocated to Minneapolis with his wife — a Minnesota native — and their two young boys to be closer to family.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Miguel to Cozen O’Connor and the great city of Minneapolis,” says Minneapolis Office Managing Partner Thomas G. Wallrich. “Minnesota businesses exported a record $5.3 billion worth of goods in the first quarter of 2018 and helping state enterprises monitor and protect their IP assets is a growing concern. Miguel’s IP background will serve our clients well.”
Pozo has also held important, high-profile leadership roles within the legal profession, including as national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ). As such, he’ll play an important role in the firm’s ongoing diversity initiatives.
“I was attracted to and ultimately chose Cozen O’Connor for its national platform, the breadth of its practice areas and its commitment to diversity and inclusion,” Pozo says. “Diversity is important — not only because it matters to our clients but because it’s a valuable component in attracting talented lawyers from varied backgrounds. As a former national and statewide bar association leader, I have significant experience with this issue.”
Pozo earned his J.D. at the Rutgers School of Law-Newark and his B.A. at Hofstra University.
Source: www.cozen.com
