Cooley LLP

Cooley was founded by Arthur Cooley and Louis Crowley in 1920 in San Francisco. In 1958, Cooley formed Draper, Gaither and Anderson, the first venture capital partnership organized on the West Coast. In the 1950s, Cooley formed Raychem and National Semiconductor.{{cite web|url=http://www.cooley.com/History |title=Cooley LLP | About | History |publisher=Cooley.com |access-date=November 26, 2013}} In 1971 the firm (then Cooley, Crowley, Gaither, Godward, Castro & Huddleson) began representing Disney in the copyright and trademark infringement case Walt Disney Productions v. Air Pirates.{{cite web |url=http://reason.com/archives/2004/12/01/disneys-war-against-the-counte |title=Disney's War Against the Counterculture |date=December 1, 2004 |access-date=November 26, 2013 |publisher=Reason.com |author=Bob Levin}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kentlaw.edu/faculty/rwarner/classes/legalaspects_ukraine/copyright/cases/walt_disney_productions_v_air_pirates.htm |title=Walt Disney Productions v. Air Pirates |access-date=November 26, 2013}} In the early 1980s, the firm took both Genentech and Amgen public. In the late 1980s, the firm relocated its offices from San Francisco to Palo Alto.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CLxzUW4V_2cC&q=Cooley,+Godward,+Castro,+Huddleson+%26+Tatum&pg=PA77 |title=Understanding Silicon Valley: The Anatomy of an Entrepreneurial Region |page=77 |access-date=November 26, 2013 |author=Martin Kenney |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2000|isbn=9780804737340 }} In 1989, the firm (then Cooley, Godward, Castro, Huddleson & Tatum) facilitated the IPO of Qualcomm.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JcH4C2eAsJEC&q=Cooley%2C+Godward%2C+Castro%2C+Huddleson+%26+Tatum&pg=PA261 |page=182 |title=The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Telecom Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market Dominance |author=Dave Mock |year=2005 |publisher=AMACOM |access-date=November 26, 2013|isbn=9780814428580 }} The firm incorporated NVIDIA in 1993 and later took the company public in 1999.{{cite web |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/cooleys-cozy-relationship-with-nvidia-goes-beyond-a-paycheck |title=Cooley's Cozy Relationship With Nvidia Goes Beyond a Paycheck |date=June 20, 2023 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |publisher=Bloomberg Law |author=Brian Baxter}} In 1995, two former partners of the firm, Robert Gunderson and Scott Dettmer, formed the law firm of Gunderson Dettmer.

On October 31, 2006, the firm (then Cooley Godward) merged with Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman, which resulted in the firm growing from 440 lawyers to 550.{{Cite web |date=2006-08-22 |title=Leading Silicon Valley Law Firm Hooks Up with New York Counterpart |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/leading-silicon-valley-law-firm-hooks-up-with-new-york-counterpart/ |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=DealBook |language=en}} In the announcement of the merger, The New York Times referred to Cooley as a "Leading Silicon Valley law firm".{{cite web |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/leading-silicon-valley-law-firm-hooks-up-with-new-york-counterpart/ |title=Leading Silicon Valley Law Firm Hooks Up with New York Counterpart |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 26, 2013 |date=August 22, 2006}}

Like many other law firms, Cooley laid off 114 people in 2009 from its offices, citing "the uncertain economy".{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/01/19/daily56.html |title=Cooley Godward lays off 114 people |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=November 26, 2013 |publisher=Silicon Valley Business Journal |author=Eric Young}}{{cite web |url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/cooley_godward_fires_52_attorneys_and_62_staff |title=Cooley Godward Fires 52 Attorneys and 62 Staff Members |author=Martha Neil |access-date=November 26, 2013 |date=January 21, 2009 |publisher=ABA Journal}}{{Cite news|url=http://abovethelaw.com/2009/02/nationwide-layoff-watch-latham-cuts-440-190-associates-250-staff/|title=Nationwide Layoff Watch: Latham Cuts 440 (190 Associates, 250 Staff)|last=Lat|first=David|newspaper=Above the Law|language=en-US|access-date=December 11, 2016}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/2009s_toll_more_than_10000_law_firm_layoffs/|title=2009's Toll: More Than 10,000 Law Firm Layoffs and Lower Pay Trend|newspaper=ABA Journal|access-date=December 11, 2016}} After aggressive hiring to meet "soaring demand" in 2020 and 2021, Cooley concluded that several of its practices were "substantially overbuilt" as demand for the firm's services did not grow as much in 2022.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Citing 'overcapacity,' Cooley lays off 150 lawyers and professionals |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/citing-overcapacity-cooley-lays-off-150-lawyers-and-professionals |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=What's Next for Cooley's Laid-Off Attorneys and Staff? |url=https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2022/12/06/whats-next-for-cooleys-laid-off-attorneys-and-staff/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=The American Lawyer |language=en}} Cooley responded by laying off 150 employees in late 2022,{{Cite web |date=November 30, 2022 |title=Cooley lays off 78 lawyers as U.S. law firms fight demand dip |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/cooley-lays-off-78-lawyers-us-law-firms-fight-demand-dip-2022-11-30/ |url-status=live |website=Reuters}} instituting a hiring freeze, and delaying the start date for incoming associates from November 2023 to January 2024.{{Cite web |title=Cooley Delays Start Date for Incoming First-Year Associates (1) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/cooley-delays-start-date-for-next-crop-of-first-year-associates |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}} Cooley then offered incoming associate hires for its corporate practice the option to start in January 2024, or to delay their start date by another year in exchange for a $100,000 stipend.{{Cite web |title=Cooley to Delay Some First-Year Associate Start Dates by Year |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/cooley-to-delay-some-first-year-associate-start-dates-by-year |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}

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Cooley has offices in ten U.S. cities, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Brussels, and Singapore.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/about/contact-us|title=Cooley|website=www.cooley.com|access-date=December 12, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/print-edition/2011/06/17/cooley-llp-sets-sails-for-shanghai.html?page=all |title=Cooley LLP sets sails for Shanghai with representative office |author=Eli Segall |access-date=November 26, 2013 |date=June 17, 2011 |publisher=Silicon Valley Business Journal}}

Cooley launched in London in January 2015, creating a 55-lawyer practice and the firm's first office in Europe. Its lawyers were hired from the London offices of Morrison & Foerster and Edwards Wildman Palmer, raiding the latter's entire office. The office is run by Justin Stock who headed the corporate department of Morrison & Foerster's London office before joining Cooley.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/about/offices/london|title=Cooley|website=www.cooley.com}}

The firm launched its Beijing office in 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.law.com/international/2018/01/29/cooley-expands-in-china-with-office-in-beijing/ |publisher=Law.com |access-date=January 29, 2018 |title=Cooley Expands in China With Office in Beijing |date=January 29, 2018}}

The American Lawyer has ranked Cooley number forty-seven in its annual ranking of U.S. law firms by gross revenue.{{cite web |url=http://www.legalbusiness.co.uk/index.php/lb-blog-view/3622-us-revenue-round-up-cooley-records-19-turnover-growth-as-mayer-brown-pep-grows-12-8 |title=US Results Round Up |publisher=Legalbusiness.co.uk |date=February 12, 2015 |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325165222/http://www.legalbusiness.co.uk/index.php/lb-blog-view/3622-us-revenue-round-up-cooley-records-19-turnover-growth-as-mayer-brown-pep-grows-12-8 |archive-date=March 25, 2016 |url-status=dead }} Top Legal 500 and the National Law Journal's NLJ 250 has ranked Cooley's practice areas from second through eighth tier in its national survey of law firms.{{cite web|url=http://www.legal500.com/firms/50229-cooley-llp/53763-washington-dc |title=> Cooley LLP > Washington DC, USA > What we say |publisher=The Legal 500 |access-date=November 26, 2013}} In addition, U.S. News & World Report nominated Cooley as the 2011–12 law firm of the year in biotechnology law.{{cite web|url=http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/cooley-llp/rankings/13597 |title=Best Lawyers | Cooley LLP - Firm Overview |work=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=November 26, 2013}}

In 2011, Cooley LLP was named U.S. Tax Court Firm of the Year by the International Tax Review.{{cite web|url=http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/Article/2924458/Search/Americas-Awards-2011.html?Keywords=Cooley&OrderType=1&PartialFields=(CATEGORYIDS%3a10329)&tabSelected=True&Brand=ITR |title=America's Awards 2011 |date=November 1, 2011 |access-date=November 26, 2013 |publisher=International Tax Review}}

Cooley was recognized as one of Law360's Capital Markets Practice Groups of the year for 2015,{{Cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/articles/738939/capital-markets-group-of-the-year-cooley|title=Capital Markets Group Of The Year: Cooley|publisher=Law360|access-date=December 12, 2016}} and 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/news/coverage/2019/2019-01-18-law360-names-cooley-practice-group-of-the-year-for-capital-markets|title=Law360 Names Cooley Practice Group of the Year for Capital Markets|publisher=Cooley|access-date=January 22, 2019}}

In 2016, Chambers UK recognized Cooley as being a leading practice in six practice areas along with singling out sixteen lawyers for their performance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/news/coverage/2016/2016-11-04-chambers-uk-2017-recognizes-cooley-lawyers-practices|title=Cooley|publisher=Cooley|access-date=December 12, 2016}}

In 2018, Cooley was named by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 law firm in the country in both the venture capital law and technology law categories, and the firm was named by The American Lawyer's Recorder publication as the top Venture Capital practice of the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/news/coverage/2016/2016-11-10-us-news-best-lawyers-names-cooley-law-firm-of-the-year-for-venture-capital|title=US News – Best Lawyers Names Cooley Law Firm of the Year for Venture Capital|publisher=Cooley|access-date=September 30, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/news/coverage/2016/2016-04-04-the-recorder-names-cooley-vc-group-corporate-department-of-the-year|title=The Recorder Names Cooley VC Group Corporate Department of the Year|publisher=Cooley|access-date=September 30, 2017}}

Cooley has been recognized as one of only five law firms (and the highest ranking of any law firm) to be listed on Fortune{{'}}s 100 Best Companies to Work For.{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/best-companies/cooley/|title=Fortune 2017 100 Best Companies to Work For|website=Fortune|access-date=October 12, 2017}}

In 2018, Crain's New York recognized Cooley on its 100 Best Places to Work in New York City list as the #4 best large company and the #1 law firm.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/html-page/672466|title=Crain's 2018 Best Places to Work|website=Crain's New York|access-date=January 22, 2019}} In the same year, Fortune recognized Cooley on its Best Workplaces in New York list, designating the firm in the top 10 of all large companies in the state.{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2018/07/17/25-best-workplaces-in-new-york|title=The 25 Best Workplaces in New York|website=Fortune|access-date=January 22, 2019}}

In 2019, Law360 Names Cooley 2018 Capital Markets Practice Group of the Year.

In 2024, the firm held a strong presence, placing 25th among U.S. firms in the National Law Journal NLJ 500, 19th in The American Lawyer's AM Law 200, and 25th globally in the Global 200 survey of the world's highest grossing law firms.{{Cite web |title=Cooley |url=https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/law-firm-profile/?id=65&name=Cooley&slreturn=20250302154320 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=The American Lawyer |language=en}}

• List of largest United States-based law firms by profits per partner

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Category:Law firms based in Palo Alto, California

Category:Law firms established in 1920

Category:1920 establishments in California

Category:Multinational law firms