Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced the addition of Bentley Graves as principal in its Minneapolis office.
January 20, 2026
Last Thursday marked the first Stated Meeting of the New York City Council for the 2026 legislative session and the first with Julie Menin serving as Speaker. During the meeting, Speaker Menin announced the Council’s leadership team for the session: Nantasha Williams as Deputy Speaker, Shaun Abreu as Majority Leader, Kamilah Hanks as Majority Whip, Elsie Encarnacion as Deputy Majority Whip, Sandra Ung as Deputy Majority Leader, Chris Banks as Deputy Majority Leader, David Carr as Minority Leader, and Inna Vernikov as Minority Whip. Prior to the meeting, Speaker Menin also introduced her senior staff leadership team, naming Miguelina Camilo as Chief of Staff, Jonathon Szott as Senior Deputy Chief of Staff, Simonne Jones as Deputy Chief of Staff, Bhav Tibrewal as Chief Advisor, and John Tritt as Senior Advisor for External Affairs. During the Stated Meeting, the Council also announced and adopted the new committee chairs and committee memberships. A full list is available here.
Last week, New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins appointed State Senator April Baskin as Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business. Before joining the Senate, Baskin served six years as Chair of the Erie County Legislature and previously spent six years on the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins also announced the appointment of State Senator Luis Sepúlveda as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sepúlveda, a longtime lawmaker and former attorney, will oversee legislation concerning the courts, civil and criminal procedure, judiciary matters, and judicial nominations. He is the first Latino to hold this position.
Last week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced several senior appointments, including the selection of Tricia Shimamura as NYC Parks Commissioner. Shimamura currently serves as Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the NYC Parks Department and previously worked as Director of Government Relations at Columbia University and as Deputy Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. The Mayor also appointed Afua Atta-Mensah as Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice. Atta-Mensah most recently served as Chief of Programs at Community Change and has held prior roles as Executive Director of Community Voices Heard and Director of Litigation and Policy at the Urban Justice Center. In addition, Mayor Mamdani named Rafael Espinal as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Espinal is currently the Executive Director of the Freelancers Union and previously served on the New York City Council, representing Bushwick, Brownsville, Cypress Hills, and East New York. The Mayor also announced the nomination of Midori Valdivia as Chair of the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Valdivia serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Coro New York Leadership Center and is a former senior advisor to the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Her nomination requires City Council approval before taking effect.
Tamara Hinton, Senior Principal and Head of Communications, was recognized by City & State New York on its 2026 Who’s Who in Political Consulting & Communications list. As head of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ national strategic communications practice, Hinton leads media campaigns and supports a wide range of clients in developing public messaging and advancing grassroots initiatives.
On Tuesday, January 21, Jamie Ansorge of Cozen Public Strategies will participate in a webinar in partnership with Janice Sued Agresti and Michael Schmidt titled “A Quarter for Your Thoughts: New York Employment Law Q4 2025 Developments and Trends.” The program, which will run from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., will cover recent employment law obligations, as well as forthcoming legislation and proposed bills of significance to employers. Attorneys are eligible for CLE credit. Register here.
Co-Chair, New York Practice
Co-Chair, New York Practice
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
February 10, 2026
February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026
