Cozen O’Connor Adds Pennsylvania’s Leading Health Care Litigator Andrew S. Kessler to its Commercial Litigation Department

PHILADELPHIA, October 1, 2025 - International law firm Cozen O'Connor announced Andrew S. Kessler, a prominent Pennsylvania litigator with a 34-year track record of successfully defending medical providers and hospitals in all facets of litigation, has joined its award winning Commercial Litigation Department. Kessler, who comes to the firm from Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP, joins Cozen O'Connor as a member and will work out of its Philadelphia office.

In his new role, Kessler will defend clients in complex disputes across the full continuum of health care delivery, including emergency medicine, inpatient treatment, primary care, and issues involving pharmacy and drug administration. His focus will be on defending hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, and rehabilitation centers in various lawsuits, along with litigation involving a range of medical technologies. Kessler's diverse practice also includes handling construction, transportation, products liability, and professional liability disputes with clients ranging from financial institutions, credit unions, and architects to engineers and design professionals.

"With over three decades of experience representing hospitals, physicians, and health care systems in a wide array of claims, Andy further enhances our defense and catastrophic injury practice in the Pennsylvania," said Barry Boss, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department. "Andy's ability to distill complex legal and medical issues into actionable advice clients both need and want makes him a major get - both for the firm and our health care related clients. I'm very pleased to welcome him aboard."

Kessler represents clients in multiple jurisdictions in arbitration, bench trials, jury trials, and appeals before state and federal courts of appeals. In 2021, he began serving as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, where he presides over settlement conferences in civil jury trial matters.

"As an accomplished litigator who has practiced in Pennsylvania for more than three decades, Andy brings to our clients invaluable knowledge of the local courts, as well as opposing counsel and the regional medical community as a whole," said James H. Heller, co-chair of the Commercial Litigation Department. "His deep understanding of the medical field, combined with a strong knowledge of the courts, will allow him to provide our clients with the highest possible level of representation. I'm very happy he's chosen to join us, and I believe our clients will be too."

Most recently, Kessler secured a unanimous jury verdict in favor of a respected, world-renowned neurosurgeon in a high-profile case involving an alleged failure to diagnose and monitor a brain tumor. In another recent case, Kessler secured summary judgment in a complex matter involving claims by a prison inmate against a respected general surgeon and the plaintiff's correctional facility.

"Cozen O'Connor's distinguished reputation, combined with its deep bench, provide the ideal platform for me to leverage my experience as a litigator and grow the firm's health care litigation practice," Kessler said. "Barry and Jim have done a terrific job building this department from the ground up, and I'm very much looking forward to working with them to strengthen our existing client relationships while also uncovering new opportunities that will further expand our presence in this highly specialized field."

Kessler earned his J.D. at Temple University School of Law and a B.A. at Temple University.

About Cozen O'Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O'Connor has over 975 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 serves its clients' needs through 33 offices across two continents.

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