VANCOUVER, March 17, 2026 — Cozen O’Connor LLP is proud to announce that five lawyers from the firm’s Vancouver and Toronto offices have been named to the 2026 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. Rory Godinho, Virgil Hlus, Michael Osborne, Lucy Schilling, and Steven Weisz have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields and for their prominence in their practice areas and professional organizations.
Cozen O’Connor’s Co-Chair of Canadian Capital Markets and Securities Rory Godinho has extensive experience advising his clients on a wide array of matters such as initial public offerings, public and private equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, reverse takeovers, qualifying transactions, corporate restructurings and reorganizations, capital alterations, and continuous disclosure requirements. He advises clients on corporate governance related matters, including regulatory compliance, corporate governance policies, fiduciary duties, and directors’ and officers’ liability.
As the chair of Canadian/U.S. Cross Border practice group, Virgil Hlus is a trusted business adviser and advocate for his corporate clients. Whether a company wants to go public, engage in a reverse takeover, a restructuring, conduct a cross-border financing or listing, or complete a tax-driven spin-off, Hlus makes it happen with efficiency and precision, all while providing exceptional client service. His clients appreciate his commitment to giving sensible, commercial solutions to the challenges that arise at all stages of complex business transactions.
Michael Osborne, chair of the Canadian Competition Practice, focuses his practice on competition, regulatory, corruption, complex commercial litigation, and arbitration. He advises and represents clients involved in competition and regulatory inquiries, criminal and administrative prosecutions, class actions, and other competition litigation and disputes. He has acted as trial and appellate counsel before all levels of courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has tried several cases before the Competition Tribunal and appeared as counsel before arbitral tribunals in international and domestic arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc.
Lucy Schilling focuses her practice on securities, corporate finance, and corporate/commercial law. She advises clients on governance, disclosure, and securities exchange compliance, and represents companies in structuring and completing their transactions across a wide range of corporate and securities matters. Known for her strategic and practical approach, she helps clients navigate complex regulatory requirements while advancing their business objectives with clarity and efficacy. Schilling also serves as vice office managing partner of the firm’s Vancouver office.
Steven Weisz, managing partner of the Toronto office, concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and insolvency law. Bringing over three decades of experience, he guides his clients through all aspects of complex domestic and multinational insolvencies. He regularly represents purchasers of distressed debt and assets, debtors, directors, court-appointed officers, and major stakeholders of insolvent businesses — often, on an urgent basis. Weisz is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, an editor of the National Creditor Debtor Review, and past president of the Toronto Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Weisz has been ranked in Chambers Global for his restructuring/insolvency practice in Canada since 2009.
About Cozen O’Connor LLP
Cozen O’Connor LLP, an affiliate of Cozen O’Connor, provides exceptional legal services across capital markets and securities, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, real estate, family law, and private client services. Together, the two firms offer clients access to more than 1,000 lawyers across 35 offices. With offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, and supported by multi-disciplinary teams, Cozen O’Connor LLP delivers trusted counsel with seamless cross-border collaboration.