New York, October 5, 2021  — Cozen O'Connor is pleased to announce that Orla Thompson, an associate attorney in the firm's Global Insurance Department, has been designated by the Defense Association of New York (DANY) to be the New York state representative to the Defense Research Institute (DRI). With this designation, Thompson is now the highest ranking DRI attorney in the state of New York. She will serve a three-year term commencing in October.

DANY is a specialty bar association primarily serving the New York civil defense bar and created to promote continuing legal education, diversity, and justice for all in the civil justice system.

DRI is the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel and the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of businesses and individuals in civil litigation.

Both organizations are committed to improving the services of the legal profession to the public.

Thompson is an experienced litigator who focuses her practice on complex and commercial litigation matters, including toxic tort, construction, employment, federal whistleblower, business contract, and real estate claims. She has a particular focus on catastrophic accident cases concerning the New York Scaffold Law, motor vehicle laws, lead and mold statutes and ordinances, and Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) whistleblower actions before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). She has appeared as counsel in New York appellate courts, federal and state courts, and before federal administrative agencies. Additionally, Thompson was selected to join the National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 for New York and currently serves as a board member for the Defense Association of New York. She is also a Cozen O'Connor Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinder for 2021.