Another US Firm Opens In Shanghai
A report in the San Francisco Business News reveals that US firm Cooley has opened it's first China office
Here's what's said
Cooley LLP has opened an office in Shanghai, marking the start of the law firm’s international strategy.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2011/12/13/cooley-shanghai-new-office.html
The new office will begin operations with two corporate partners, Brad Peck and Patrick Loofbourrow.
Cooley, with 650 lawyers around the United States, said that Shanghai likely won’t be the last foreign locale for the firm.
“More broadly we conceptualize the international presence we want to create being Asia, London and western Europe,” said the firm’s CEO, Joe Conroy. “These are the places where our clients increasingly are doing business and need legal services.”
Conroy said that the firm’s entry into Europe could come in the form of opening an office or through a merger. “It could come from a bunch of different ways,” Conroy said.
Cooley said it made sense for it to open in China because the firm has a history of deals involving that country. In 1989, Cooley advised on the formation of the first institutional venture capital fund investing in China, and the firm has formed 43 Chinese venture capital and private equity funds for nearly 20 fund managers.
Cooley represents various U.S. fund managers doing business in China, including fund managers with sponsored groups and representative offices in China.
The firm, with a focus on tech, venture capital and life science companies, in 2006 merged with New York firm Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman LLP. In addition to Palo Alto and New York, Cooley has offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Reston, Va. Broomfield, Colo., Washington D.C., Boston and Seattle.
