Palo Alto – October 7, 2021 – For the first time in the firm's history, Cooley has been named a finalist for The American Lawyer's Litigation Department of the Year award, which recognizes the top seven litigation practices in the country over a two-year period. The other finalists include Gibson Dunn, Kirkland & Ellis, Paul Weiss, WilmerHale and Munger, Tolles & Olson.
Additionally, Mike Rhodes, global chair of Cooley's cyber/data/privacy practice, is a finalist for the publication's Litigator of the Year award. The winners for both awards will be announced at The American Lawyer's annual awards gala in New York on December 2.
Cooley's litigation department remains the premier destination for the most disruptive and innovative companies facing the most complex challenges in the modern economy. Our teams have continued to notch transformative wins for some of the biggest players in technology and across other industries, including Zoom, Facebook, NVIDIA, Turo, Nike, CenturyLink, Nintendo and Google. This work has contributed to Cooley's rapid climb into the Am Law 20 and, among other distinctions, earned the firm 12 mentions on Am Law Litigation Daily's Litigator of the Week lists in the past year and a half.
Additionally, the litigation team continues to put muscle behind impactful pro bono work, clocking more than 72,000+ pro bono hours across the department last year on significant matters, including high-impact litigation involving LGBTQ+ rights, political asylum and racially biased policing.
Rhodes is among only eight finalists selected for this elite distinction for his work on some of the highest-profile and complex litigation matters this past year. For decades, he has been the go-to lawyer for tech giants facing novel privacy allegations – work that has earned him extensive media coverage and numerous accolades, including eight MVP titles from Law360.
In and out of the courtroom, Cooley's litigation teams are uniquely positioned to handle sensitive and high-stakes matters, with a proven track record of effectively advocating for clients at the forefront of innovation. The firm is well known for defending clients in white collar matters and investigations, and remains the go-to firm for the world's most dynamic companies as they navigate the ever-increasing complexities of the legal and regulatory landscape. Cooley's diverse litigation department is quickly expanding with the additions of several elite hires across key markets, including prominent former federal prosecutors and a group of talented litigators in Cooley's Chicago office, which opened in May.