PHILADELPHIA, August 12, 2025: In recognition of her outstanding professional and community contributions in the Philadelphia area, partner Diana Cortes has been named a Woman of Influence by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Diana was selected from a pool of more than 200 nominees to be one of 28 honored on this year’s list.
Diana’s practice focuses on matters involving state attorneys general, municipalities, and other government entities as well as in class actions, internal investigations, and federal enforcement inquiries. She also represents clients in government investigations, complex litigation, and crisis management. Diana has particular experience before the judiciaries in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Outside of her practice, Diana was appointed Philadelphia city solicitor in December 2020—the first Latina to serve in the role. As Philadelphia’s chief legal officer, she was a member of the Mayor’s Cabinet and managed one of the largest municipal law practices in the United States, covering litigation, corporate, real estate, tax, regulatory, legislative, and privacy matters. She directed the legal strategy for the mayor, city council, and all city departments and agencies responsible for public safety, utilities, public property, airports, information security, sustainability, and municipal finance. She also led the legal and client strategy to initiate all affirmative litigation to advance the city’s policy and financial interests, including those related to opioid recovery, gun violence, and environmental justice.
Serving as Philadelphia’s chief legal officer during the COVID-19 pandemic, Diana provided legal and crisis management counsel amid critical public emergencies and was among the core group of city leaders managing short- and long-term COVID-19 response, vaccine rollout, mandatory vaccination work policies, and public safety and health measures. She also served as an assistant district attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she tried felony jury trials.
She previously taught trial advocacy at Temple University Beasley School of Law and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Fluent in Spanish, Diana is a member of Pennsylvania’s Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group.
Diana will be among those honored during an event at Switch House in Fishtown on October 15 and profiled in a special edition of the Philadelphia Business Journal on October 17.
See the full list of Women of Influence 2025 honorees >>
Subscription may be required.