Less than two years after moving their practices from Drinker Biddle & Reath to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Philadelphia-based class action litigators Meredith Slawe and Michael McTigue have joined Cozen O'Connor.

The duo, who will co-chair the firm's national class actions practice group, said they are chasing their next strategic opportunity with their move to the Philadelphia-based Am Law 100 firm, pointing to several practices with crossover.

"We were impressed with Cozen's national footprint and its premier state attorneys general practice, strong bipartisan public strategies group, and privacy compliance practices, all of which complement our work," McTigue said in an interview Wednesday.

McTigue and Slawe have practiced together for nearly 15 years. They join Cozen O'Connor along with partner Mira Baylson, a white-collar defense attorney; partner Daniel Brewer, a class action litigator; and associate Marie Bussey-Garza.

Slawe, who will also co-lead Cozen O'Connor's retail industry group, said the group had been considering the lateral move over the past few months.

"There is a parallel between the consumer protection issues that the state attorneys general [practice] is focused on, and the subject of the class actions we defend," Slawe said. "Privacy is a big issue, mostly at the state and at the federal level, including the collection and use of data, such as credit reporting issues and the collection and retention of consumer data."

The group's clients are mostly businesses that interact with consumers, such as retail companies in consumer litigation, as well as pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and insurance companies. The shareholders said many of their clients are "very supportive" of the move.

"The hiring of these powerhouse attorneys reflects a comprehensive strategic plan we've put in place to find the best lawyers across the country and build out our complex litigation, investigations, and privacy capabilities," Cozen O'Connor chairman and CEO Michael Heller said.

Slawe and McTigue were part of a larger group of class action litigators that left Drinker Biddle in July 2018 to join Akin Gump. Earlier that year, Cozen O'Connor brought on a 14-lawyer commercial litigation group from Drinker Biddle, which merged with Am Law 50 firm Faegre Baker Daniels earlier this year, creating Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.

Class actions are increasingly focused on cutting-edge privacy and regulatory issues, Slawe said. The group advises clients on compliance with assorted privacy statutes, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, Biometric Information Privacy Act, and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

The California Consumer Privacy Act, which went into effect this year, gives certain privacy rights to consumers. Several states will likely follow suit. And many of the new laws coming into place could lead to litigation.

"It is a difficult environment for businesses to navigate, and we advise clients in their compliance," Slawe said. "This was one of the driving factors of the move to Cozen—the addition of a very sophisticated technical compliance team."

That team will help the group to advise companies on how to comply with existing privacy and emerging privacy laws.

Asked about the group's departure, a spokesperson for Akin Gump said in an emailed statement: "We wish Mike and Meredith the best in their future endeavors."

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Drinker Biddle Class Action Defense Team Jumps to Akin Gump