Two Philadelphia firms, Cozen O’Connor and Blank Rome, shot back at allegations brought in federal court in New York that the firms were involved in a scheme to defraud real estate investors of $27 million.

The investors allege that Charles Naselsky, a disbarred lawyer who once worked at both Cozen O’Connor and Blank Rome, conspired with Philadelphia real estate developers to get the investors to put millions of dollars into a project that would be barred by zoning restrictions.