Cooley
Cooley LLP is a global law firm serving technology, life sciences, and public company clients across the US, UK, and Asia with corporate, litigation, IP, and regulatory services, and operates the AI-powered Cooley GO Lab startup platform in partnership with Y Combinator and Legora.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cooley does
Cooley LLP is a global law firm founded in 1920, operating as a privately held limited liability partnership with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The firm serves technology companies, life sciences organizations, startups, and public companies with legal services spanning corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. Cooley's client base spans the full corporate lifecycle, from early-stage formation and venture financing through major M&A, public offerings, and complex litigation, with named engagements including Menlo Ventures ($3B capital raise), Clorox/GOJO ($2.25B acquisition), Fin/Salesforce ($3.6B), Cred/Meta ($900M), and Tango Therapeutics ($600M offering).
Cooley's technology portfolio centers on the Cooley GO Lab, an AI-powered workspace launched in June 2026 in partnership with Legora (a legal technology startup) and Y Combinator, enabling startup founders to upload legal documents and receive AI-driven analysis comparing agreements against market-prevalent terms. Supporting platforms include Cooley GO (a curated knowledge base of startup-specific legal templates), IPO GO (resources for companies preparing to go public), and a Public Company Resource Hub. These platforms extend the firm's traditional professional services into a hybrid model combining billable legal work with technology-enabled client self-service.
The firm generates revenue primarily through professional fees structured as hourly rates, fixed fees, or value-based arrangements. The go-to-market model is partner-led, with senior lawyers maintaining direct relationships with enterprise clients. Recent strategic priorities include AI integration across service delivery, Asia-Pacific expansion (particularly Singapore), and continued leadership in technology and life sciences sectors. The firm is privately held by its partners and does not publicly disclose financial information.
Cooley firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cooley
- Legal name
- Cooley LLP
- Website
- https://cooley.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Cooley LLP is a global law firm serving technology, life sciences, and public company clients across the US, UK, and Asia with corporate, litigation, IP, and regulatory services, and operates the AI-powered Cooley GO Lab startup platform in partnership with Y Combinator and Legora.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Cooley is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Cooley business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Professional Fees: Cooley generates revenue through legal fees charged to clients for corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and advisory services. The firm traditionally operates on billable hours but is transitioning toward value-based pricing structures.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Cooley product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cooley is a global law firm providing legal advisory and representation services across corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance, with deep specialization in the technology, life sciences, and emerging companies sectors. The firm operates through 45 recommended practice areas and serves clients ranging from startups to large enterprises across the US, UK, and Asia Pacific.
Product overview
Cooley's product portfolio consists of legal service platforms and online resources for startups and public companies. The core offering is Cooley Go Lab, an AI-powered workspace launched in June 2026 in partnership with Legora and Y Combinator, which integrates document analysis capabilities with access to the Cooley GO knowledge base of startup-specific legal content and templates. Supporting platforms include Cooley GO (the underlying curated legal guidance and forms portal), IPO GO (resources for companies preparing to go public), and the Public Company Resource Hub (governance resources for public companies). These platforms are designed to serve the full company lifecycle from early-stage formation through public market participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate Legal Services Full-service corporate legal counsel for technology and life sciences companies covering M&A, venture capital financing, securities law, and corporate governance transactions.
- Litigation Services Litigation and dispute resolution services including white collar defense, investigations, antitrust and competition, and commercial litigation for technology and life sciences clients.
- Intellectual Property Services Intellectual property legal services including patent litigation, IP protection strategy, and technology transactions for technology, life sciences, and pharmaceutical companies.
- CooleyREG Regulatory Services Regulatory compliance and government investigations practice providing counsel on AI regulation, data privacy, cybersecurity, and sector-specific regulatory matters.
- Cooley Go Lab
- Cooley GO Curated online resource providing startup-specific legal guidance, templates, and forms covering company formation, equity compensation, and governance matters, serving as the underlying content foundation for AI-powered document analysis in Cooley Go Lab.
- IPO GO Guidance and resource portal for companies on the path to going public, providing practical IPO preparation materials for board members and leaders of US-listed public companies.
- Public Company Resource Hub Resource hub for board members and leaders of US-listed public companies covering governance, regulatory compliance, SEC matters, and shareholder activism topics.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45 practice areas ranked in Legal 500 US 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cooley
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cooley technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
Cooley partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- LegoracoreCooley partnered with legal technology startup Legora to build Cooley Go Lab, an AI-powered portal enabling startup founders to upload and review routine legal documents. The platform draws on Cooley's standard startup forms and templates.
- Y CombinatorflagshipCooley Go Lab launched exclusively with Y Combinator's summer 2026 cohort, providing AI-powered workspace for startups in YC's network. Y Combinator backed Legora at its founding.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cooley competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton: Elite global law firm with strong cross-border M&A, capital markets, and antitrust practices. Competes with Cooley on international tech transactions and regulatory matters.
- Skadden Arps: Major global law firm with strong M&A, capital markets, and corporate practices. Competes with Cooley on large tech M&A and public company advisory work.
- Sidley Austin: Global law firm with significant life sciences regulatory, healthcare, and technology practices. Competes with Cooley in life sciences transactions and recently lost partner Stephanie Hales to Cooley.
- Latham & Watkins: Largest global law firm by revenue with significant tech, life sciences, and capital markets practices. Competes with Cooley on large-cap M&A, IPOs, and cross-border transactions while serving a broader industry range.
- Kirkland & Ellis: Global elite law firm dominating private equity, M&A, and high-stakes litigation. Competes with Cooley on technology and life sciences M&A matters and is a major lateral hiring destination for Cooley partners.
- Davis Polk & Wardwell: Elite Wall Street law firm competing with Cooley on tech IPOs, capital markets, and high-profile M&A. Strong SEC and regulatory practice with comparable Tier 1 rankings in securities and M&A.
Direct peers
- Fenwick & West: West Coast technology and life sciences law firm with strong overlap in venture financings, tech IPOs, and startup representation. Recent co-investor with Cooley in startup funding rounds (e.g., Slice Global Equity).
- Gunderson Dettmer: Leading venture capital and emerging companies law firm with deep overlap in startup formations, venture financings, and tech M&A. Direct competitor for Cooley GO Lab's target startup client base.
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati: Preeminent Silicon Valley law firm with direct overlap in technology company representation, venture capital financings, and IPOs. Competes head-to-head with Cooley for tech and life sciences mandates and has comparable Tier 1 rankings.
- Goodwin Procter: Major tech and life sciences-focused law firm competing directly with Cooley in venture financings, technology M&A, and emerging company representation. Similar sector specialization and client base overlap.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cooley social profiles
Digital presenceCooley financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cooley leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cooley funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cooley M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments63 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cooley
What does Cooley do?
Cooley is a global law firm providing legal advisory and representation services across corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance, with deep specialization in the technology, life sciences, and emerging companies sectors. The firm operates through 45 recommended practice areas and serves clients ranging from startups to large enterprises across the US, UK, and Asia Pacific.
Is Cooley a public or private company?
Cooley is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Cooley founded?
Cooley was founded in 1920. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Cooley based?
Cooley is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cooley make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services - Professional Fees.
Who are Cooley's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Skadden Arps, Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis and Davis Polk & Wardwell. Direct peers are Fenwick & West, Gunderson Dettmer, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Goodwin Procter.
Does Cooley have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cooley.