lawyer

#Cooley LLP

The Buzz

About Cooley LLP

The firm that is now known as Cooley LLP was founded in 1920 in San Francisco by Arthur Cooley and Louis Crowley. The practice they started went on to become a major player in California, as it prospered in the Silicon Valley boom years (and survived the bust). Since then, the firm has expanded its reach to Southern California, the Rockies, the East Coast, the Pacific Northwest, the Far East and the UK, while maintaining a relatively comfortable size.

In 1980, Cooley opened an office in Palo Alto, the epicenter of American technology. The firm began working with venture capitalists, life sciences companies and emerging technology start-ups, representing the likes of Adobe Systems and Gilead Sciences; it also took Genentech and Amgen public in 1980 and 1983, respectively. But Cooley's IT roots pre-dated personal computers-it advised Raychem on its founding in 1957 and helped form National Semiconductor in 1959. It also advised on the formation of Draper, Gaither and Anderson, the West Coast's very first venture capital partnership. These days, the firm's Palo Alto attorneys have added expertise in intellectual property, patent issues, employment law and complex business and securities litigation.

The firm expanded into Southern California in 1992 with the launch of its San Diego office. Representing well-known San Diego companies like QUALCOMM, Amylin and Sony, the San Diego office advises on corporate and litigation matters in a variety of industries, ranging from biotechnology to Internet and electronic commerce to telecommunications.

Eastward Bound

Of course, venture funds and emerging technology shops aren't confined to California. Cooley was the first Silicon Valley firm to establish itself in the Rocky Mountain region with the opening of a Colorado office in 1993, taking advantage of the burgeoning tech boom in that state. Since then, the Colorado office has relocated to Broomfield, home of companies like Level 3 Communications and Oracle.

The firm's first East Coast office opened in Reston, Virginia in 1999, and once again, its goal was to serve technology companies (public and private), as well as entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, private equity funds and the financial services companies that work with all of the above. A second Eastern office opened in 2005 in Washington, DC.

Even More Growth

In 2006, the firm that was known as Cooley Godward (for Arthur Cooley and early partner Bill Godward) merged with New York firm Kronish Lieb Weiner Hellman, a well-regarded boutique with an emphasis on bankruptcy, tax, and commercial and white collar litigation practices. The next stop in Cooley's expansion was Boston, where the firm opened its doors in 2007. One year later Cooley came to Seattle, where it focused on high technology and life sciences in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the Pacific Rim. In late 2011, Cooley launched its first international office with the opening of an office in Shanghai, China. In 2012, Cooley opened its 11th office in Santa Montica-the heart of convergence of tech, media and venture capital in greater Los Angeles. Most recently, in 2015, Cooley launched its first European office in London.

Not Just a Niche Player

Although Cooley remains best-known for its technology work and life sciences clients (Yelp. eBay, Facebook, Google and Gilead, to name just a few), the firm has also won awards for its intellectual property litigation and privacy practices. It has also cast its net far beyond the typical Silicon Valley client, working with companies in the retail, insurance, sports and investment banking industries.

Accept Your Offer!

For the second consecutive year, Cooley has been named to Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Cooley, which rose 58 spots to No. 42, is one of only five law firms named to the prestigious list. The Fortune list is the result of the most extensive employee survey in corporate America.

Cooley has also been consistently recognized for its family-friendly benefits and supportive work environment by national and regional publications, including Crain's New York Business. Washington Business Journal. Denver Post and Working Mother magazine.

Acquisition Experts

Cooley advised Horizon Pharma plc on its acquisition by Hyperion Therapeutics for $1.1 billion in an all cash transaction and related debt commitments. Announced the same day was Auspex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s acquisition by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for approximately $3.5 billion; both deals were led by the head of Cooley's M&Amp;A practice, Barbara Borden.