Cooley Godward Kronish Expands to Boston

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 16, 2007) - Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, a national leader in representing technology and life sciences companies and litigating high-stakes commercial and intellectual property disputes, announced today it has opened an office in Boston. With the arrival of 10 Boston-based partners from several national firms with Boston offices, Cooley will establish a significant New England presence with market-leading expertise in emerging and public companies, life sciences, venture and private equity fund representation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and commercial litigation. The Firm anticipates additional attorneys joining in the coming weeks.

"Boston is one of the leading technology and life science centers in the world and, given Cooley's strength and leadership in these sectors, this is a natural market for the Firm's expansion," said Stephen C. Neal, chairman and CEO of Cooley. "A Boston office has long been part of Cooley's strategic plan and our knowledge of the marketplace gained over years of substantial activity here enabled us to identify and recruit a group of first-class attorneys. We could not be in a better position to hit the ground running."

John Hession and Lester J. Fagen, two well-recognized corporate attorneys with a combined 50 years of practice in Boston, will lead the new office. Hession, who will serve as the partner in charge, is one of the leading emerging companies and venture capital attorneys in the country and joins Cooley from the Boston office of McDermott Will & Emery. Fagen, a seasoned private equity and venture capital attorney with a diverse corporate and investor client base, will lead Cooley's business and technology practice in Boston and its private equity practice firmwide. He joins Cooley from the Boston office of Goulston & Storrs.

In addition to Hession and Fagen in the corporate practice, Alfred L. Browne, III joins from Sullivan & Worcester where he was chair of the venture capital/emerging companies group; Miguel J. Vega, also from Sullivan & Worcester, where he was a co-director of the corporate department; Patrick J. Mitchell, a director at Goulston & Storrs, who focuses on private equity and venture capital; and Marc Recht, a partner in the corporate department at McDermott Will & Emery.

The intellectual property practice includes Thomas C. Meyers, who was chair of the intellectual property department at Sullivan & Worcester's Boston office and recently general counsel of Helicos BioSciences Corporation, and Robert J. Tosti, who was a partner in Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge's intellectual property practice group.

The Boston office's litigation group will include Richard S. Sanders, joining from Sullivan & Worcester, where he was chair of the technology litigation practice, and Robert B. Lovett, a partner in the securities and financial litigation group at Seyfarth Shaw.

Cooley's new Boston team all were at one point in their careers with Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP, Boston's leading technology and life sciences firm until its dissolution in 2005. The partners have a wealth of experience representing companies in financings, initial public offerings, merger and acquisition transactions, and major litigations, representing clients in some of the most significant matters in the region collectively valued in the multiple billions of dollars.

Commented Hession, "By virtue of its national reputation and strategic focus on technology and life sciences, Cooley will fill a gap in the Boston legal market. To become a part of this great firm, and to be joining with former colleagues I profoundly admire both as friends and practitioners, is an incredible opportunity."

"New England is not a 'new' market for Cooley," said Barbara Kosacz, head of the Firm's life sciences practice. "We have had an active presence here for many years through our work with market-leading life science companies and venture funds, and last year Cooley was ranked second in the Eastern U.S. for our representation of venture-backed companies."

The opening of a Boston office marks Cooley's continued expansion on the East Coast. Last fall, Cooley merged with premier New York firm Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman, establishing a full-service office in Manhattan which offers clients substantial capabilities across critical practice areas including financial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, high-profile litigation, bankruptcy, tax and real estate. Cooley opened an office in Washington, DC in September 2005 and currently has more than 30 attorneys there, including leading attorneys in corporate law, government contracts and intellectual property litigation. As a result of robust growth in that market, the Firm will move to expanded office space this September.

Cooley's Boston office occupies the 46th floor of The Prudential Tower, located in Boston's Back Bay.

About Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

Cooley Godward Kronish's 600 attorneys have an entrepreneurial spirit and deep, substantive experience, and are committed to solving clients' most challenging legal matters. From small companies with big ideas to international enterprises with diverse legal needs, Cooley has the breadth of legal resources to enable companies of all sizes to seize opportunities in today's global marketplace. The firm represents clients across a broad array of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, financial services, retail and energy.

The firm has full-service offices in major commercial, government and technology centers: Palo Alto, CA, New York, NY, San Diego CA, San Francisco, CA, Reston, VA, Broomfield, CO, Washington, DC and Boston, MA.

For additional information, please visit www.cooley.com.

Contact Information: Media Contacts: Ashley Kanigher Office: 617.937.2300 Cell: 415.786.2994 akanigher@cooley.com Zach Olsen Office: 415.732.7805 Cell: 415.948.5913 zolsen@cooley.com