Recent News:
Lawdragon has named Mark Felger, Brian Shaw, and Trevor Hoffmann, all members of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring Practice, to its 2026 list of the 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
Brian focuses his practice on financial restructuring, bankruptcy, and other in- and out-of-court distressed solutions, along with attendant litigation, representing debtors, creditors, and other parties-in-interest in proceedings throughout the country. Over the past three decades, he has guided Chapter 11 debtors, Chapter 7 and 11 trustees, creditors’ and noteholders’ committees, assignees, landlords, liquidating trustees, labor organizations, preference and fraudulent conveyance defendants, receivers, and secured and unsecured creditors through all aspects of bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring.
A fellow at the American College of Bankruptcy, he has also served as president, chairman, and vice president of membership at the American Bankruptcy Institute and previously chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Section. Brian has earned accolades from Chambers USA, Martindale Hubbell (AV Rating), Super Lawyers (Top 100 in Illinois from 2020 to 2025), Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon (Top 500 Bankruptcy Lawyers), and Marquis Who’s Who in America. Brian also authors a regular column for Law360, where he shares insights on current bankruptcy, insolvency, and restructuring law issues.
Brian earned his J.D. from University of Illinois College of Law and his B.A. from Tufts University.
News
March 13, 2026
Lawdragon has named Mark Felger, Brian Shaw, and Trevor Hoffmann, all members of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring Practice, to its 2026 list of the 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
January 21, 2026
James Argionis, Erin Bolan Hines, Janet Davis, Jeremy Glenn, Allen Guon, Brian Shaw, Joe Tilson, and Anna Wermuth were all named Super Lawyers; Amy Doig was named to this year’s Rising Stars list
August 21, 2025
Best Lawyers selected more than 250 Cozen O'Connor lawyers from 26 of the firm's US offices for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
July 10, 2025
Cozen O'Connor is pleased to announce that Mark Felger, Brian Shaw, and Trevor Hoffmann have been named to Lawdragon's 2025 list of the 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers.
June 05, 2025
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 98 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2025 edition.
January 21, 2025
Super Lawyers has named seven attorneys 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers and two attorneys 2025 Illinois Rising Stars.
August 15, 2024
Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.
June 28, 2024
Lawdragon has named Cozen O’Connor attorneys Mark Felger and Brian Shaw,
both members in the firm’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice, to its 2024 list of the Top 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.
June 10, 2024
Chambers USA rankings are based on an “assessment of a firm’s work and opinions from external market sources, with an emphasis on client feedback.” In order to be ranked in the guide, lawyers and firms must demonstrate “sustained excellence.”
March 05, 2024
Ira Bodenstein, Jack Carriglio, Janet Davis, John Dunn, Mitch Edlund, Wendy Enerson, Gary Gassman, Tia Ghattas, Jeremy Glenn, Erin Bolan Hines, Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Roberts, Brian Shaw, Joseph Tilson, Julie Trester, Peter Valeta, Anna Wermuth, and Brian Williams were recognized as Leading Lawyers, Christina Sanfelippo was recognized as an Emerging Lawyer.
January 29, 2024
The Cozen O’Connor attorneys who have been recognized by their peers in Illinois as Super Lawyers are Jack Carriglio, Janet Davis, Jeremy Glenn, Allen Guon, Peter Roberts, Brian Shaw, Joe Tilson, and Anna Wermuth. Amy Doig, David Doyle, and Corey Hickman were named to this year’s Illinois Rising Stars list. This is Hickman’s first year on the Rising Stars list.
August 17, 2023
Best Lawyers selected 230 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
July 10, 2023
CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 — Lawdragon has named Chicago attorney Brian Shaw, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice, to its 2023 list of the Top 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.
June 05, 2023
Of the 88 lawyers ranked, 17 lawyers have been recognized nationally, and eighteen were recognized in Band 1. Eight of the firm's practice areas have been recognized nationally, and nine were ranked Band 1.
April 21, 2023
Brian Shaw is featured in a University of Illinois article discussing his career path and what he finds most rewarding in his job.
January 26, 2023
Super Lawyers has named 11 attorneys at Cozen O’Connor to its 2023 lists of top practitioners in Illinois.
August 22, 2022
210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
June 02, 2022
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 86 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2022 edition.
April 21, 2022
CHICAGO, April 21, 2022 — The American College of Bankruptcy (ACB) has named to its Board of Regents Chicago attorney Brian Shaw, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice.
March 02, 2022
The Leading Lawyers Network has named 22 Cozen O’Connor lawyers to its annual list of Illinois’ top practitioners and named one other as an Emerging Lawyer in its 2022 survey results.
January 31, 2022
Lawdragon has named Brian Shaw and Thomas Horan, members of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice, to its 2022 list of the Top 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.
January 28, 2022
Nine were recognized as Super Lawyers and two were named to its list of "Rising Stars," a list that recognizes attorneys under the age of 40.
August 19, 2021
Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
May 26, 2021
Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 82 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2021 edition; of those, 15 lawyers have been recognized nationally.
Publications
February 03, 2026
Brian Shaw discusses recent Fifth and Ninth Circuit decisions, which underscore that bankruptcy courts’ post-confirmation jurisdiction – particularly “related to” jurisdiction – is limited and cannot be created by retention of jurisdiction language alone, in Law360.
May 27, 2025
Brian Shaw discusses the rule of marshaling assets, which allows a junior creditor to request that a senior creditor, who has access to multiple funds for debt repayment, first satisfy its claims from funds not accessible to the junior creditor, in Law360.
August 09, 2024
Brian Shaw and David Doyle co-authored a Law360 article addressing the need for clearer guidance on the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted by Congress in 2021.
April 02, 2024
Brian Shaw and David Doyle co-authored a Law360 article on the potential implications of the Supreme Court decision in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case.
December 06, 2023
Brian Shaw discusses the challenges attorneys face during lengthy mediation sessions and emphasizes the importance of promptly documenting mediated settlements in a Law360 article.
August 10, 2023
Brian Shaw analyzes the significant role Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code plays in commercial bankruptcy cases in Law360.
March 08, 2023
Brian Shaw discusses how the use of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in recent high-profile cases has resulted in debtors raising protection concerns in a Law360 article.
October 03, 2022
Brian Shaw and Christina Sanfelippo discuss the In re: Smith decision and what it means for bankruptcy practitioners in a Law360 article.
July 06, 2022
Brian Shaw and David Doyle analyze the Legal Service Bureau Inc. v. Orange County Bail Bonds Inc. decision, which that addresses the commitment period under Section 1191(c)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code in an article titled “9th Circ. Subchapter V Case Clarifies Commitment Periods,” in Law360.
April 04, 2022
Brian Shaw discusses the beneficial and detrimental effects of the Small Business Reorganization Act (SBRA) in an article titled, “2 Years Of Small Biz Bankruptcy Law: Winners And Losers” in Law360.
December 22, 2021
Brian Shaw authored an article in Law360 exploring unfamiliarity with the impact Section 502(b)(6) has on the balance of the landlord's underlying, substantive state law claim for breach or termination of a lease once it's reduced by application of Section 502(b)(6)'s cap.
September 20, 2021
Brian Shaw and Mark Radtke co-authored an article in Law360 exploring the concerns about the bankruptcy court’s ability to make impartial decisions.
June 09, 2021
Brian Shaw and David Doyle discuss the U.S. Trustee’s Offices’ position on Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in which the debtor seeks to either confirm a plan or sell substantially all its assets in a matter of weeks or less after the petition date in Law360.
Events & Seminars
Upcoming Events
April 24, 2026
- Washington, D.C.
Brian Shaw will participate in the panel discussion “Deconstructing the Code: Section 365” at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Annual Spring Meeting.
Past Events
June 12, 2025
- Lexington, KY
October 18, 2024
- Chicago, IL
September 27, 2024
- Washington, D.C.
September 05, 2024
- Las Vegas, NV
June 04, 2024
- Chicago, IL
October 30, 2023
- Webinar
November 09, 2022
- Webinar
June 25, 2022
- Lake Geneva, WI
April 28, 2022
- Washington, D.C.
November 03, 2021
- Webinar