BOCA RATON, Fla., May 12, 2025 — Cozen O'Connor today announced one of the country’s foremost high-stakes commercial litigators, Erica W. Rutner, has joined its international Litigation Department. Rutner, who frequently defends Fortune 500 enterprises and private businesses in bet-the-company consumer class action disputes — typically in federal courtrooms across the country — joins Cozen O’Connor as a shareholder and will work out of its Boca Raton, Fla., office.
Serving as lead counsel, Rutner brings to the firm an impressive and lengthy track record of defending domestic/international corporate clients in a range of complex, high-stakes commercial disputes involving consumer protection, privacy claims, products liability, and health care. Further, clients often choose her to serve as repeat counsel due to her many successes in defeating class actions at the class certification stage or through summary judgment.
Most recently she defeated a potential class certification for the nation’s largest assisted living chain in two separate disputes involving allegations of understaffing and Americans with Disabilities Act violations. After first defeating the class certification, she then prevailed on summary judgment concerning other issues, saving her client hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and injunctive relief.
“For consumer-facing enterprises, class actions can be a national and international fact of life, especially with regards to consumer protection-related litigation involving data collection and tracking technologies,” said James H. Heller, co-chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department. “Erica brings a substantial background of successfully handling these consumer protection-related class actions for both domestic and global clients in a range of industries. She’s a terrific addition to our department and I’m excited to welcome her to the firm.”
On the international stage, Rutner obtained a voluntary dismissal with prejudice in a putative class action against a publicly traded international product manufacturer seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages after successfully excluding all of plaintiffs’ experts. She also obtained summary judgment for a publicly traded international product manufacturer in a putative class action seeking over $1 billion in damages.
“Most clients litigate reluctantly because it’s costly, distracting, and unpredictable,” said Ellen S. Morris, managing partner of the Boca Raton office and chair of Fiduciary Litigation. “Erica brings us a proven record of defeating potentially costly class actions, typically at the class certification stage before merits discovery ever begins. She also works closely with clients to identify and minimize their long-term class action exposure. I’m thrilled she’s chosen to join our office.”
Rutner comes to Cozen O’Connor from Moore & Lee PC and brings with her as an associate Michael Puretz, also an alumnus of Moore & Lee. Puretz focuses on consumer class actions and has successfully represented clients in multiple bet-the-company matters. He represents owners, contractors, architects, and developers in high-value construction and government contract disputes.
“I chose Cozen O’Connor because the people, the culture, and its entrepreneurial nature make it an amazing place,” Rutner said. “I now have at my disposal a large, full scope litigation practice with offices around the country populated by highly accomplished, hard-working, down-to-earth attorneys. All of which will benefit my clients and help me continue to build my practice.”
Rutner earned her J.D. at the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. in Psychology at Columbia University, Barnard College. Puretz earned his J.D. at the University of Miami School of Law, an M.B.A at the University of Miami, and a B.A. at the University of Florida.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 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 serves its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.
# # #