Legal News

Cozen O'Connor Re-elects Decker to CEO Post

By Brian Harris

By Gina Passarella
Of the Legal Staff

Cozen O'Connor President and CEO Thomas A. "Tad" Decker will serve a second term in the post.

The firm's board unanimously re-elected him to the role, Cozen O'Connor said in a statement. The new term is effective immediately and will conclude in December 2012.

Since rejoining the firm in 2007 from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Decker has led it through some significant growth initiatives. Most recently the firm brought on more than 60 attorneys from disbanded Wolf Block. There has also been an emphasis on building its business practices.

Cozen O'Connor has largely been able to avoid some of the decisions other firms in the market have made regarding deferrals, layoffs and salary cuts. The firm did, however, lay off more than 60 staff members, including some paralegals, in February.

Decker joined Cozen O'Connor in May of 2000 as its first managing partner. In 2004, Gov. Edward G. Rendell appointed Decker as the inaugural chairman of the Gaming Control Board. During his three-year tenure with the board, he was responsible for overseeing the administration of Act 71, which legalized slots gambling at a select number of sites in the state.

Decker returned to Cozen O'Connor in August 2007 as president and CEO. That marked the first time the title of CEO was held by someone other than firm founders Stephen A. Cozen and Patrick J. O'Connor.

"I am honored to continue working on behalf of this firm among such talented attorneys," Decker said in a statement. "And I am fortunate to work with a strong, visionary management committee and department chairs who are helping us grow this firm to even greater heights. Much of the credit for our success, even at a time when the legal industry has suffered and is greatly challenged, is attributed to our dedicated 550-plus lawyers and 600 staff working across all 24 offices."

Prior to joining Cozen O'Connor, Decker held senior executive positions for a number of corporations, including Saint-Gobain Corp., where he was chief operating officer and general counsel; Unisource Worldwide Inc., and Asbury Automotive Group, both of which he served as executive vice president and general counsel.

Full post as published by The Legal Intelligencer Blog on July 22, 2009 (boomark / email).