Cooley LLP

Cooley LLP
Name	Cooley LLP
Founded	1920
Founders	Thomas F. Cooley
Headquarters	Palo Alto, California
Num offices	17
Num attorneys	~1,200
Practice areas	Technology, Life Sciences, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Intellectual Property, Litigation
Key people	Richard S. Levick; John P. Cooley
Website	Cooley LLP

Cooley LLP is an international law firm known for representing technology and life sciences companies, venture capital firms, and financial institutions. Founded in 1920 in Palo Alto, California, the firm has grown into a multi-jurisdictional practice with major engagements in Silicon Valley, New York City, and London. Cooley has participated in landmark transactions and litigation involving startups, public offerings, and intellectual property disputes.

History

Cooley traces origins to the founding in Palo Alto amid the rise of Silicon Valley and the Stanford University research ecosystem, with early work connected to Transistor era entrepreneurs and venture firms like Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins. During the 20th century the firm expanded through association with finance clusters in San Francisco, New York City, and later international markets including London and Beijing. Cooley advised clients through major events such as the Dot-com bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and regulatory shifts following the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. The firm has grown by mergers and lateral hires, aligning with trends seen at firms like Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Latham & Watkins, and Morrison & Foerster.

Practice areas

Cooley’s core practices include corporate transactions for technology and life sciences companies tied to ecosystems at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley. Its capital markets practice handles initial public offerings and follow-on offerings on exchanges such as the NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange, often advising on matters involving Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The firm’s intellectual property practice litigates before venues like the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and advises on patent portfolios often interacting with standards bodies and companies like Apple Inc., Microsoft, and Google. Cooley’s venture capital group represents investors and startups negotiating with firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Accel Partners, and Benchmark Capital. Practice areas also include private equity deals with firms like The Carlyle Group and KKR, healthcare and life sciences matters involving Pfizer, Amgen, and Genentech, regulatory counseling linked to Food and Drug Administration submissions, and complex litigation before courts such as the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and arbitration panels under International Chamber of Commerce rules.

Notable representations and clients

Cooley has represented a range of clients across technology and biopharma ecosystems, including startups that later IPO'd such as companies in the portfolios of Intel Capital and Google Ventures, and later-stage companies working with investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The firm has counseled biotechnology firms in licensing deals with Novartis and collaborations with academic spinouts from Johns Hopkins University and University of Pennsylvania. Cooley has defended clients in intellectual property disputes involving standards-essential patents and competitors such as Qualcomm and Broadcom. The firm has also represented financial sponsors and sovereign wealth investors in transactions with entities like Temasek Holdings and SoftBank affiliates. In capital markets, Cooley served as counsel in IPOs and SPAC mergers involving companies listed on the NASDAQ and cross-border transactions touching European Investment Bank guidelines.

Offices and international presence

Cooley maintains offices in major innovation and financial centers including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Beijing, Shanghai, Chicago, and Boston. The London office engages with clients across European Union regulatory frameworks and transactions governed by English law in courts such as the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. The Beijing and Shanghai offices support China-related inbound and outbound investments, interfacing with agencies like the China Securities Regulatory Commission on cross-border offerings. Cooley’s international practice collaborates with global firms on matters involving the World Intellectual Property Organization and multinational agreements under World Trade Organization principles.

Corporate culture, rankings, and awards

Cooley has featured in rankings by publications such as The American Lawyer, Chambers and Partners, and U.S. News & World Report for practices in venture capital, technology transactions, and patent litigation. Awards have recognized the firm’s life sciences work in lists by Law360 and innovation rankings linked to Fast Company reporting on technology ecosystems. Internally, the firm emphasizes associate development programs resembling training initiatives at Debevoise & Plimpton, mentorship frameworks similar to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and diversity efforts paralleling initiatives at Baker McKenzie and Clifford Chance.

Pro bono work and community involvement

Cooley engages in pro bono representation in matters before bodies like the United States Immigration Court and civil rights matters in federal district courts. The firm partners with non-profits and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders, American Civil Liberties Union, and local legal aid societies tied to institutions like Legal Aid Society (New York) and university clinics at Stanford Law School and Yale Law School. Community involvement includes support for entrepreneurship programs at accelerators like Y Combinator and mentorships with science incubators affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and California Institute of Technology.

Category:Law firms of the United States