NEW YORK, July 1, 2025 – Michael Schmidt, vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Labor & Employment Department, has been selected as an award recipient in the Distinguished Leaders category for the New York Law Journal and Law.com’s 2025 New York Legal Awards. The awards honor attorneys and judges whose dedication, innovation, and leadership have significantly impacted the legal profession in New York.

For more than 30 years, Mike has assisted businesses and their management teams throughout the United States accomplish their goals through litigation, negotiation, and day-to-day counseling. Mike is a trial lawyer who represents employers in federal and state courts, in arbitration, and before government agencies on issues including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage and hour, including class and collective actions; FMLA, ADA, and other federal, state, and local leave obligations; breach of contract; whistleblowing, including SOX and other laws; restrictive covenants, noncompetes, and nonsolicits; social media use; WARN; and other employment law matters.

Mike is also the founder and host of the award-winning podcast “Employment Law Now.”

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 925 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor services its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.