Spotlight: Cozen O’Connor
On April 22, 2025, Cozen O’Connor announced one of the nation’s leading corporate attorneys – Samuel E. Feigin – had joined the firm as Strategic Growth Partner and to spearhead its Israel Practice.
With a deep understanding of Israel’s dynamic business landscape and its U.S. and other international dimensions, the Cozen O’ Connor team combines local knowledge with global experience across the sectors and legal and business issues that matter from birth to exit and from introduction to closing.
This week, we were delighted to speak with Samuel, who had joined from Crowell & Moring, where he chaired the Corporate and Israel practices.
While barely a month into life at Cozen O’Connor, which areas of work regarding Israel would you like to highlight for your firm’s new Israel Desk? Why is the firm deciding to launch now?
Cozen O’Connor has all the accoutrements of a leading, full-service Israel Practice – one that facilitates the flow of Israel-related business in both directions between Israel and the United States and affords Israeli clients one-stop shopping in the United States. In fact, in just the first few weeks since I arrived at the firm, we’ve supported Israeli clients on a wide array of activities, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, government contracting, export control, and other international trade, labor and employment, venture financing, IP, and commercial disputes.
The catalyst for launching the Israel Practice at Cozen O’Connor is my arrival, but the firm has been handling matters for Israeli clients for years and is now coordinating, supporting, and promoting our efforts through an official practice. Not only does the firm offer top-tier, cost-effective legal and practical business advice, but we also have highly sophisticated regulatory and compliance capabilities in all major relevant areas, including CFIUS, government contracting, export control, sanctions, advertising, cybersecurity, privacy, and employment. In addition, we are well-equipped to help Israeli companies identify channels of government funding, obtain government grants and loans, and promote their interests before the legislative and executive branches through our Public Strategies team and beyond.
Given your market prominence, what distinct advantages does Cozen O’Connor offer to Israeli startups and investors navigating U.S. deal structures, regulatory hurdles, and cross-border growth?
Cozen O’Connor has decades of directly relevant experience representing cutting-edge Israeli companies in maximizing U.S. opportunities and doing deals while supporting U.S. dealmakers over the decades, plus a nuanced understanding of the regulatory rules and agencies, from antitrust to CFIUS, and from ITAR to labor and employment. We approach every deal and every opportunity with fresh energy and maximum agility, along with the substantive and practical experience that only decades of intense participation in the ecosystem produce.
After a challenging 18 months in Israel, which sectors, for you, have seen resilience and why? What transactions are you seeing taking place?
The entire country and business community have demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Defense tech and cyber tech companies have been tremendously successful, often out of necessity. Although many other types of companies have also been closing equity raises, strategic commercial transactions, government contracts, and merger and acquisition transactions, the defense tech and cyber tech innovators have stood out.
What challenges do you anticipate facing the Israeli legal and business sectors, and how do you plan to address them to maintain your competitive edge?
Although multi-faceted, the most significant challenges are instability in the business environment caused by October 7 and its aftermath, the unsettled global tariff and trade situation, and a variety of exogenous market challenges from U.S. capital markets to BDS-related and styled efforts. Above all, we will maintain a competitive edge through a high level of engagement with Israeli companies and those doing business with them. We will communicate regularly, we will be at their sides as they interact with U.S. players, and we will be physically present in Israel regularly.
As someone leading the firm’s Israel-related work, what personal goals do you have for the future development of the Israel Practice?
I want Cozen O’Connor to be known for its commitment to the Israeli business ecosystem and for the unparalleled legal and strategic support we provide to Israeli clients. We want to continue to be uber effective in advising and advancing the business interests of Israeli clients.
With many decades’ cross-border experience, how do you tailor your advice to Israeli tech companies expanding into or transacting with the U.S. market or U.S. companies dealing with Israeli parties?
The fundamental, practical point is that it’s as critical to understand the other company and how deals are done in their country as it is to pursue your business interests—from getting to know counterparts to allowing U.S. experts to play the appropriate roles. This has many implications, and it’s crucial to bear in mind from the first discussion with a potential deal partner.
Your role is extraordinarily busy – how do you switch off best outside of the law?
I’ve always been available to clients as close to 24/7 as possible. Having said that, when in Israel for business, I relish nights out with friends to watch my cousin perform with various bands around Tel Aviv and late-night runs along the beach and the Yarkon. When in the U.S., the best is doing anything with my wife and any of my four kids. Sports also feature prominently in my escape from the intensity of work—the Baltimore Orioles, Michigan, Chelsea, and the Washington Commanders are my primary rooting interests, along with my kids’ collegiate soccer squads; and I like to get out and run, kayak, golf, and play baseball, basketball, and tennis.
You can reach out to Samuel here.
