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Firm Summary

Cooley LLP

Cooley Logo

When it comes to firms that are capable of handling the most cutting-edge technology matters, Cooley is one of the first names that comes to mind. Founded in San Francisco in 1920, Cooley soon became a fixture on the California legal scene, particularly in Silicon Valley through both the boom and bust years. Today, the firm is home to over 1,100+ lawyers across 16 offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, though they’ve never given up their strong West Coast presence. Building on its roots, the firm is still most highly renowned for its work in the technology and life sciences sectors, representing clients like Google, Facebook, and eBay, though it has expanded its services to a much wider audience, with award-winning capital markets, privacy, and IP litigation practices, plus strong offerings in the investment banking, sports, insurance, and retail sectors.

Fun fact: Denis Hayes, the coordinator of the first Earth Day and a highly regarded environmentalist, is a former Cooley lawyer.

Firm Stats

Firm Name
Cooley LLP
U.S. Lawyer Headcount
1300
Headcount Change Since 2016

Overall+213Partner+52

Salary Scale
Market
Hours Required
Unspecified
Top Feeder Schools
Harvard Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Stanford Law School, UC Berkeley School of Law
Average Lawyer Tenure at Firm (Years)
5.6
Revenue Per Lawyer Change Over Five Years
24%
Women Partners (as Percentage of U.S. Lawyer Headcount)
7%
Women Partners (As a Percentage of U.S. Partnership)
27%
Promotion Rate
3%
Most Common Federal Case Types
Contract, Civil Rights, Intellectual Property
Most Active Federal Jurisdictions
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Frequent Federal Litigation Clients
American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians
Leopard Solutions is our primary data partner for the Law Firm Transparency Project. This data was compiled in the first quarter of 2022. For the most current data, visit Leopard Solutions.

Firm Policies

Work/Life Balance

  • 24 weeks primary caregiver leave
  • 12 weeks family leave
  • Flex and/or reduced hours
  • Tech stipends for 2020
  • Subsidized backup care/emergency dependent care
  • Telecommuting
  • Adoption and fertility aid
  • Ramp up/Ramp down program for parents and expecting parents
  • Base comp true up for reduced schedules
  • Internal Coaching team
  • Concierge Services
  • Snoo smart sleeper rental

Benefits and Perks

  • $16K bar stipend or signing/graduation bonus 
    • Bar exam reimbursements included in stipend
  • $10,000 salary advance and $4,000 medical benefit assistance, on top of stipend, for the class of 2020 in light of deferred start date
  • Distances greater than 50 miles, direct billing preferred mover, up to $6,000
  • Full payback required if associate leaves in 12 months
  • Mentoring
  • DEI billable hours credit – up to 50 hours of billable credit for qualified activities, which count toward productivity and bonus eligibility (as featured on Above the Law)
  • Shadow program/credit – provides junior and mid-level lawyers with opportunities to observe experienced lawyers in their daily interactions with clients, opposing counsel, witnesses, judges, arbitrators, regulators and others, and allows for up to 50 hours of billable credit for productivity and bonus eligibility
  • Business development funds – dedicated budgets to allocate to business development inclusive of associates as early as their first year

Pro Bono Programs

  • Gives pro bono matters same staffing, attention, and resources as other matters
  • Gives pro bono same weight and credit as other matters in performance evaluations
  • Dedicated pro bono team made up of lawyers and staff

Wellness Resources

  • Partner-led mental health and wellness committee (Cooley was an inaugural signer of the ABA’s Wellbeing Pledge in 2018)
  • Firmwide wellness program, “b.well@Cooley,” offers programs including free chair massages, wellness coaching, and fitness and nutrition programs 
  • Online wellness platform includes credit to purchase fitbit and $1,000 fitness reimbursement benefit 
  • Maintains a digital mental health benefit that provides free self-assessments, meditation, health coaching, and therapy
  • Modern Health: Counseling and Coaching sessions
  • Weekly guided meditation sessions
  • Daily Peloton rides

Affinity Groups

  • Women’s Initiative
  • Alternative Work Schedule Attorney Affinity Group
  • Asian Pacific Islander Attorney Affinity Group
  • Black Attorney Affinity Group
  • Black Professional Staff Affinity Group
  • Caregivers Attorney Affinity Group
  • LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
  • Latinx Affinity Group
  • Minority Associates Group – This group is open to all non-partner lawyers and patent personnel who have an interest and passion for diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Veterans at Cooley Affinity Group

**Membership is open to lawyers and staff**

Superstars

Gittings Photography

Andrew D. Goldstein
Partner

The highly acclaimed former federal prosecutor recently joined the firm as a litigation partner in its New York and D.C. offices, handling sensitive internal investigations, white collar cases, and regulatory matters. Goldstein previously served as senior assistant special counsel to Robert Mueller III at the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as the chief of the public corruption unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

lincoln-mike-10218-web

Mike Lincoln
Vice Chair

In 1999, Lincoln co-founded the firm’s first East Coast office and today he serves in the firm’s business department and is in charge of lateral recruiting and strategy. The corporate partner focuses his practice on emerging companies, venture capital, and M&A matters.

Gittings Photography

Stella Sarma
Special Counsel

Recently hired as Special Counsel in the firm’s Brussels office, Sarma focuses on EU and Greek competition law, advising on merger control and global cartel investigations, as well as complex cross-border transactions, most notably in the technology and healthcare industries. She was hired in an effort to expand the firm’s global antitrust and competition practice.

Gittings Photography

Michael Yu
Partner

Recognized as a leader in capital markets, Yu was recently hired as a corporate partner in the firm’s Hong Kong office, where he also oversees the firm’s association with the law firm of Cai, Lee & Partners. Yu specializes in IPOs and other equity capital markets transactions on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Above the Law Coverage

 

 

The Law Firm Transparency Project draws upon Above the Law research as well as data provided by Leopard Solutions and UniCourt. Click here for an expanded methodology and definition of terms.