To kick off Women’s History Month, Cohen Seglias is pleased to announce that Lori Wisniewski Azzara has been named shareholder and member of the firm’s board of directors, effective January 1, 2023. Azzara is a construction litigation partner based in the firm’s Pittsburgh and Louisville offices and serves as chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative.
“Lori is a natural leader who has played an integral role in building and guiding the firm over the past several years through her involvement in the firm’s executive committee. Her promotion and addition to the board of directors is well deserved, and we are thrilled that she has agreed to take on this new role,” said Christopher Carusone, managing partner of the firm’s Pittsburgh office.
Cohen Seglias managing partner Steven Williams added, “Lori exhibits her commitment to the firm through her success in expanding our firm’s presence in the mid-west region and her tireless efforts in providing comprehensive, creative and cost-effective representation of her clients. In her role as chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative committee, she continues to work to improve the firm’s associate retention, pro bono work, and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts,” he continued. “We are lucky to have Lori join the board, and I look forward to working with her as the next generation of Cohen Seglias leaders.”
Since joining Cohen Seglias as an associate in 2006, Azzara has established herself as a leader in the field of construction law, previously serving as chair of the Construction Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association and chair of Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance’s Board of Directors. Azzara has been recognized by Best Lawyers® in America and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Lists for construction litigation. She also served on the Law360 Pennsylvania Editorial Advisory Board in 2022. Azzara was named partner in 2017 and has been chair of the Women’s Initiative since 2021.
“Being a shareholder and part of firm’s leadership will allow me to continue to introduce and advance important policies and decisions to further diversify and grow the firm,” Azzara said. “We have an amazing and talented group of rising female attorneys who share in my goal of advancing and promoting females in the construction and legal industries. This is a welcomed and wonderful step for Cohen Seglias.”
Azzara is a dedicated advocate for the development of women who work not only at Cohen Seglias but also those in the construction industry. In her role as chair of the Women’s Initiative, she has served as a catalyst for positive changes at the firm, including updating the attorney parental leave policies, increasing networking and professional development opportunities for women, and formalizing committees for the firm’s pro bono and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Outside the firm, she is a member of the inaugural cohort of NEXTWomen, a year-long leadership program that focuses on developing women leaders in the construction industry.
Azzara has a nationwide construction and commercial litigation practice, representing owners, developers, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors and design professionals in their work on both private and public construction projects. She assists her clients with contract negotiations and provides advice throughout the entirety of a construction project. She regularly prosecutes and defends complex construction claims in mediations, arbitrations and various courts throughout the country.
About Cohen Seglias
Founded in 1988, Cohen Seglias is a law firm with more than 80 lawyers in offices across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Washington, DC, and Kentucky. The firm provides client service on a national basis in areas including business transactions, commercial litigation, construction, creditors’ rights & bankruptcy, financial services, government contracting, labor & employment, government law & regulatory affairs, insurance coverage & risk management, real estate, research misconduct, student defense, Title IX, wealth preservation, and white collar defense & internal investigations. For more information, please visit www.cohenseglias.com.
