Former Pa. Attorney General Jerry Pappert joins Cozen O'Connor

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Jerry Pappert has joined Cozen O’Connor’s

commercial litigation group, the Philadelphia law firm announced on Monday.

Pappert, currently the chairman of the Pennsylvania Banking and Securities Commission, will work with clients on services such as government investigations, white-collar criminal matters, corporate compliance, government relations and strategy, and general commercial litigation, the law firm stated in a Nov. 12 news release.

“With his combined high-level government and corporate experience, Jerry brings unique insights into many of the most difficult and important issues facing our clients,” Cozen O’Connor’s chief executive officer, Tad Decker, said in a statement. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Jerry to the firm.”

Jeffrey Weil, who chairs the law firm’s Commercial Litigation Group, echoed Decker’s sentiment in his own comments, stating that Pappert will be “a great addition to our group.

“When clients are faced with high-stakes issues that involve civil, regulatory and even criminal aspects, it’s important to be able to offer solutions on all fronts,” Weil said in his statement.

Pappert served as Pennsylvania Attorney General from 2003 to 2005, during which he led high-profile investigations and criminal prosecutions in the areas of public corruption, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, insurance and Medicaid fraud, and environmental crimes.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pappert served as the state’s First Deputy Attorney General, and during his tenure he argued cases before the Pennsylvania and U.S. Supreme Courts.

Pappert was also lead trial and appellate counsel in the Attorney General’s Office’s successful effort to prevent the sale of Hershey Foods by the Hershey Trust Co., which resulted in a landmark decision in the area of charitable trust law, according to Cozen O’Connor.

In a statement, Pappert, who said he has numerous friends at Cozen O’Connor, explained that his decision to join the Philadelphia firm had to do with the fact that it offers a “broad range of services, including extremely deep commercial litigation capabilities.

“Joining the firm enables me to use all facets of my background, from litigation to public policy,” Pappert stated.

Pappert most recently served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Cephalon Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company. The Fortune 1000 company is based in Frazer, Chester County.

In addition to his work with Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation Group, Pappert is expected to be working closely with Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the law firm’s ancillary bipartisan government relations firm.

Cozen O’Connor is among the nation’s 100 largest law firms, and employs about 575 attorneys in 21 offices across two continents.