Palo Alto firm, Cooley LLP is planning for its first international expansion, applying to open an office in Shanghai.
The firm said the move comes in response to client demand.
Here’s the press release…
?With many of our clients pursuing aggressive growth plans in China, an increase in venture fund formation and investing activity focused on the country, and with the strong growth prospects for China and Chinese businesses, we feel that our presence in China is a natural first step in our international expansion,? Joe Conroy, Cooley?s CEO, said in a prepared statement.
In 1989, Cooley advised on the formation of the first institutional venture capital fund investing in China, and to date 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.
It could take 12 months for Cooley to get a response from the Chinese government on its application.
Cooley has 650 attorneys and focuses on advising in the venture capital, life sciences, information technology and clean energy industries.
The firm 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.