Michael J. Heller

Michael is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cozen O'Connor. Under his leadership and strategic direction, the firm has grown in head count and revenue by more than 60 percent and, with revenue in excess of $500 million, has been recognized as one of the top 100 law firms globally. He chairs the firm's Board of Directors and serves on its Management Committee. His business, entrepreneurial, and investing experience arms him with a unique ability to manage a global law firm in an ever-changing market and provide legal and business insight on countless complex client matters. Michael joined Cozen O’Connor in 1994 as the firm's first transactional lawyer, and has held numerous leadership positions at the firm including President of the firm and Chair of the Business Law Department.

Since Michael began his tenure as CEO, the firm has received countless accolades for its commitment to a quality and diverse workplace and the firm’s dedication and generosity to the communities and causes in which our employees and clients live and work.

In addition to his role as CEO of the firm, Michael is a recognized leader in the venture capital, private equity and emerging business space and began his career as a young associate during the IPO craze of the late 1980s. He understands, first hand, the critical roles of modern executives. An important element of Michael’s practice is making the necessary introductions to help clients raise capital and find joint venture partners, and he is constantly relied upon for his business acumen and investment instincts. Michael’s practice is focused on all forms of equity and debt capital-raising transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances and initial public offerings.

Michael is a frequent speaker on venture capital and entrepreneurism in the Mid-Atlantic region and is regularly quoted as a thought leader in local, regional, and national publications. He is Chambers-ranked for Corporate Law - M&A and Private Equity. Each year since it was first established in 2015, the Philadelphia Business Journal has named Michael one of the most influential people in the Philadelphia region and he has been named a Pennsylvania "Super Lawyer" by Law Politics from 2004 to present.

Michael has significant personal business and investing experience, which differentiates him from his peers in the venture capital and private equity space. Michael was an early investor and continues to be a principal owner of Beachbody, LLC, the creator of the popular fitness programs P90X and Insanity, the leading health and fitness direct marketing company in the country. Michael was also one of the original principal owners of the Valley Forge Casino and Resort.

Michael is a member of the board of directors of a number of for-profit companies, including Beachbody, LLC, ESF Camps, and Hanover Fire and Casualty Co. He also sits on several nonprofit boards, including Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Villanova Law School, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT).

Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Michael received his undergraduate degree in 1986, summa cum laude, from The Pennsylvania State University, and his law degree in 1989, magna cum laude, from Villanova University, where he was a law review editor and a member of the Order of the Coif.