Senator William “Mo” Cowan is Of Counsel to Mintz Levin and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ML Strategies, the firm’s government relations and business advisory affiliate. Prior to rejoining Mintz Levin, where he practiced from 1997-2009, Senator Cowan represented the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as interim United States Senator, filling the vacancy created when John F. Kerry was appointed United States Secretary of State. Immediately prior to his Senate service, Senator Cowan served in the following leadership positions for Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick: Chief Legal Counsel (2009-2011), Chief of Staff (2011-2013) and Senior Advisor (2013). Senator Cowan also currently serves as a Fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics.
During his term as Senator, Mo served as a member of the Senate Agriculture, Commerce, and Small Business Committees. He also chaired the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research, and was appointed by Governor Patrick to co-chair the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.
As Chief of Staff to Governor Patrick, Mo directed strategic planning, investment and operations, including oversight of the Commonwealth’s multi-billion dollar, annual budgeting process. As chief strategist and crisis manager to the Governor, Mo advised on all domestic and international affairs, intergovernmental relations and gubernatorial appointments and administered all management and personnel functions within the Governor’s office.
As Chief Legal Counsel to the Governor, Senator Cowan served as the General Counsel for the Executive Office, advising Governor Deval L. Patrick on all legal and policy matters. He managed legislative, regulatory policy setting for the Office of the Governor. Senator Cowan oversaw all legal operations for the Patrick-Murray Administration including management of five deputy counsel, eight Cabinet-level general counsel, and several hundred in-house and outside counsel, the largest legal practice in the Commonwealth. He successfully managed litigation and negotiations with health insurance companies concerning small business coverage rate increases, resulting in historic reductions in rate increases designed to spur economic activity, and he also revised the regulatory review process to mandate that agency counsel consider and justify the impact of the regulation on businesses and economic growth. In this capacity, Senator Cowan administered the selection and nomination of Chief Justice of Supreme Judicial Court and nearly two dozen additional judicial appointees to state administrative law panels, trial courts and appellate courts.
Prior to his public service, Mo was a member in the firm’s Litigation Section where he represented a diverse array of commercial clients in matters involving corporate governance, financial mismanagement and malfeasance and money laundering investigations. He led many internal investigations, providing litigation counseling and crisis management services to corporate clients, representing individuals and institutions in SEC and SRO enforcement actions, and class action proceedings. Mo also served for six months in 2000 as a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Office of the Middlesex County District Attorney.
During his earlier term with the firm, Mo chaired the Hiring Committee and served on the Diversity Committee, Member Compensation Committee, and Management Recommendations Committee.
Recognitions & Awards
Professional & Community Involvement
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