U.S. Senator William “Mo” Cowan, who was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to fill the seat vacated by Secretary of State John F. Kerry, will return to Mintz, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.  Senator Cowan will serve as Chief Operating Officer of ML Strategies, the firm’s government relations and strategic consulting affiliate, and be Of Counsel to the law firm.  He will join the firm in November after concluding his term as a Fall 2013 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

“From his earliest years as a counselor to companies large and small to his service in the U.S. Senate, Mo has earned the admiration and respect of legions of people, from leaders in business and industry to the State House and Capitol Hill,” said Robert I. Bodian, Managing Member of Mintz.  “We are thrilled he has decided to return to Mintz, where he will join the ML Strategies leadership, offering invaluable management experience and regulatory expertise, as well as play an instrumental role in over seeing major litigations and investigations.”

“Mo’s remarkable career has been defined by the ability to navigate complex situations and get things done - whether advancing the interests of a client or advocating for the needs of the people of Massachusetts and the Nation,” added Stephen P. Tocco, President and CEO of ML Strategies. “The relationships and credibility he has established with legislative leaders and government officials at all levels will further enhance our ability to assist clients in shaping public policy and charting a course through a rapidly changing environment.”

“Having had the privilege of working with the highly-skilled and forward-thinking professionals at Mintz and ML Strategies, I’m excited to be taking on this new role, working collaboratively with my former colleagues and friends to provide clients with the very best strategic counsel,” said Senator Cowan.

Senator Cowan, who became Massachusetts’s second African American Senator, helped to make history as his tenure marked the first time in U.S. history that two African Americans served in the Senate simultaneously.  During his term Senator Cowan served on the Agriculture, Commerce and Small Business committees.  He now joins a distinguished group of former government officials at Mintz, including most recently, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld.

Senator Cowan previously served as Governor Deval Patrick’s Chief Legal Counsel and, later, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor.   He worked with the Governor's Cabinet to formulate and implement the administration's policy through legislation, the budgetary process, and supervision of executive agencies.  He also served as the Governor’s primary advisor in all efforts on behalf of the citizens and residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Prior to that, he was a Member in the Boston office of Mintz where he represented a diverse array of commercial clients in complex matters involving corporate governance, financial malfeasance, money laundering, environmental claims, patent disputes and consumer protection issues, among many others.  He also chaired the firm’s Hiring Committee and served on the Member Compensation Committee, Executive Management Recommendations Committee, and Diversity Committee. 

Since leaving the Senate in July, following the swearing in of Senator Edward Markey, winner of the special election in which Senator Cowan was not a candidate, Senator Cowan has been a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics.  He has also co-chaired the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, by appointment of Governor Patrick.

Over the course of his career, Senator Cowan has been recognized as an "Outstanding Young Leader" by the Boston Jaycees, a "Corporate Citizen of the Month" by the Boston Bar Journal, a "Top 40 Business Leader Under 40" by the Boston Business Journal and as a "Massachusetts Super Lawyer".  Active in his community, he has served as a trustee or director for several non-profit organizations, including the Corporation for Northeastern University, the Discovering Justice Foundation, The Chestnut Hill School and Project STEP, Inc.  A graduate of Duke University, he earned his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.