Last updated:
Cooley
US law firm advising innovative companies and investors, with a particular focus on technology and life sciences.
About Cooley
Cooley was founded in the US in 1920 and opened its London office in 2015. Its international network comprises 19 offices across the US, Europe and Asia, with London its UK base. The firm advises companies through different stages of development, from establishing and financing new businesses to acquisitions, public offerings and disputes. Technology and life sciences are central to its practice: in London, its services include corporate transactions, intellectual property, commercial agreements, regulatory advice and litigation. This gives its UK practice a combination of investment and transactional work alongside the legal issues involved in developing, commercialising and protecting products and technology. Its international network supports companies and investors operating across the UK, US and other markets
Cooley’s two-year London training contract comprises four six-month seats, including compulsory corporate and business litigation seats. Other options include life sciences, debt finance, technology transactions and financial regulation, subject to business needs. Trainees receive supervision, a partner mentor, a trainee buddy and formal development sessions.
Future trainees study at The University of Law through the SQE route, with non-law graduates completing the PGDL beforehand. Cooley funds the required tuition fees and provides a £20,000 annual maintenance grant while studying. Its FAQs also describe invitations to firm events and social gatherings before trainees join, helping future recruits establish relationships during law school.
Practice areas & rankings
Cooley has eight ranked departments in Chambers UK 2026, including two Band 1 practices: Life Sciences: Transactional and Product Liability: Mainly Defendant, both UK-wide. Its other department rankings cover venture capital, employee incentives, corporate/M&A, public international law, data protection and tax. The total counts departments rather than individual lawyer recognitions.
At the Life Sciences EMEA Awards 2026, Cooley won Licensing & Collaboration Firm of the Year and Venture Capital Firm of the Year. London partner Frances Stocks Allen also won Licensing & Collaboration Lawyer of the Year.
Ranked departmentsChambers UK
Explore the practice areas
Cooley is ranked Band 1 for Life Sciences: Transactional, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026. The practice advises on corporate and financing transactions involving intellectual property, alongside licensing, joint ventures and collaboration agreements. Chambers also highlights its experience advising European companies on Nasdaq listings, including foreign private issuer and dual-listing structures. This combination connects the financing of life sciences businesses with the agreements used to develop and commercialise their research
Cooley is ranked Band 2 for Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026. It represents both investors and companies receiving investment, with particular strength in technology businesses and international financings involving transatlantic interests. Its international office network supports this work. For prospective trainees, the practice provides useful context for understanding the firm’s technology focus and its relationships with growing companies and their investors.
Cooley is ranked Band 1 for Product Liability: Mainly Defendant, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026. The team handles product liability litigation, recalls and regulatory issues for clients in technology, automotive and consumer products, and also advises on policy matters. Its work extends beyond defending claims to addressing the commercial and regulatory consequences of product safety concerns. Chambers cites its representation of Midea on a major home-appliance recall as a practice highlight.
Cooley is ranked Band 4 for Corporate/M&A: £100–800 million, London (Firms), in Chambers UK 2026. Its clients include FTSE 250 companies, start-ups and financial sponsors, with sector experience in technology, media, life sciences and telecommunications. Chambers highlights the team’s ability to advise on international transactions involving US and Asian interests. The practice complements the firm’s venture capital work by advising businesses and investors on corporate transactions beyond fundraising.
Cooley is ranked Band 3 for Employee Share Schemes & Incentives, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026. The practice advises technology and biotechnology companies on remuneration arrangements and employee share schemes, including tax-efficient structures. It also supports venture capital investments, public offerings and M&A, where employee equity and incentive arrangements can form an important part of the transaction. Chambers identifies its advice to Printify on its merger with Printful as a work highlight.
The application process
Click on each stage to find out more.
The application begins with an online form for Cooley’s London spring or summer vacation scheme, through which the firm recruits its trainees. Candidates may submit one application per recruitment year, and applications may be reviewed before the deadline. Cooley looks for motivation, initiative, adaptability, communication and collaboration, together with evidence of leadership and taking responsibility. Applicants can draw on employment, extracurricular activities and other achievements; their experience does not need to be exclusively legal. The form also provides space to explain mitigating circumstances Written responses should use concrete examples to explain the applicant’s contribution, decisions and achievements. When explaining their interest in Cooley, candidates should connect their motivations to the London office’s work, such as advising technology businesses, life sciences companies and venture capital investors. A focused explanation of why that work appeals will be more useful than a list of firm facts. Applicants should follow the questions and word limits displayed in the application form.
How to answer why youCooley: quick answers
How much does Cooley pay trainees?
Cooley pays first-year trainees £55,000, rising to £60,000 in the second year. Newly qualified solicitors at Cooley earn £157,000.
When is the Cooley vacation scheme deadline?
Cooley runs more than one vacation scheme round in the 2026/27 cycle: the summer scheme closes on 4 Jan and the spring scheme closes on 4 Jan. Deadlines can change and popular schemes may close early, so check the live application deadlines tracker.
How many trainees does Cooley take on?
Cooley takes on around 6 trainees in each intake, so places are competitive and strong applications matter.
What tests does Cooley use in its applications?
Cooley’s published recruitment process includes an online critical-thinking assessment after the initial application screening. Candidates who perform strongly progress to interviews and a commercial case-study assessment. The firm’s brochure does not identify the test provider or specify its duration, so applicants should follow the instructions supplied with their assessment invitation. Useful preparation includes practising how to distinguish facts from assumptions, evaluate arguments and determine whether conclusions follow from the information provided. Candidates should read each question carefully and base their answers on the supplied evidence.
What grades do you need to apply to Cooley?
To apply to Cooley you will generally need a 2:1+ degree. At A-level, Cooley asks for ABB. Requirements can flex where there are mitigating circumstances, so always check the firm's own criteria if your grades differ.
Get the tools and support you need to succeed.