Cozen O’Connor has dipped into Reed Smith’s ranks and hired former Wisconsin deputy state attorney general Paul Connell in an effort to shore up the firm’s 16-attorney state AG practice ahead of a democratic sweep of the White House and Congress.

Connell spent four years working for former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel before he left in March 2019 to join Reed Smith. As deputy attorney general, Connell worked as the primary adviser to Schimel and helped craft policy and investigate fraud related to a host of consumer issues, including multi-state actions. Connell will split his time between the firm’s Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices.