Cooley Alumni Update
Welcome
We’re excited to reconnect with our alumni community and create a space that celebrates the many paths, accomplishments and influences of our alumni. Whether you spent one year here or built a long chapter of your career at the firm, you’ll always be part of Cooley. Our goal is to make it easier to stay connected, informed and engaged with the people, ideas and energy that have defined our culture and shaped your journey.
Once Cooley, always Cooley.
Interview with Tanisha James
What happens when you step off a well-defined career path and design a career on your own terms? In this Alumni Spotlight Q&A, Tanisha James reflects on her professional journey and the decisions that helped define the next chapter of her career.
- Current roles: Chief operating officer and chief legal officer at The Players Company, a premium, athlete-founded ecosystem at the intersection of sports, community, financial literacy education and investment access; co‑founder, COO and CLO of Ai Universal, a mission-driven, human-centric, AI innovation and education company building the tools, training and community to empower organizations and leaders to connect, learn and effectively harness the power of AI
- Industry focus: Sports tech, media, entertainment, business, culture and impact; artificial intelligence innovation and education
- What she’s building: A trusted, global collective of athletes, investors and founders; AI tools, community and training programs for all
- What drives her: Pairing operator instincts with legal training, plus mentoring, investing and storytelling to open doors for others
Every journey matters, tell us yours
Submissions are now being accepted!
Whether it’s a career milestone, a leadership journey, an entrepreneurial venture or an unexpected pivot, we want to hear about the people forming Cooley’s alumni community. If you want to share your story, we invite you to submit yourself or nominate a fellow alum to be featured in a future Alumni Spotlight. Let’s celebrate the diverse paths and accomplishments across our alumni community.
Self-nominations are encouraged, and all submissions will be considered for upcoming newsletter issues.
Firm pulse
Growing together, making an impact
Cooley continues to grow, evolve and make an impact, through strategic practice expansion, addition of new talent and work that earns attention throughout the industry.
From new capabilities and lateral hires to high-profile matters and industry recognition, we highlight key developments and recent headlines reflecting the firm’s momentum, strength and influence.
Growth and expansion
- Cooley Enhances Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory Capabilities
- Cooley Expands Fund Formation Capabilities With Regulatory Hire
- Cooley Expands Real Estate and Data Center Capabilities With Partner Hire
- Cooley Enhances Seattle Presence With Addition of Two Leading Emerging Companies Partners
Making headlines
- How Cooley Steered the Boston Celtics' Multistep $6.1B+ Sale
- Cooley Again Recognized by Chambers for Agribusiness
- Cooley Recognized by Chambers for Impact Investing
- Cooley Solidifies Market Leadership in Representing Venture-Backed Companies
- Cooley Recognized in Five Deals of the Year Awards in the Chinese Market
- Cooley Again Recognized as Cybersecurity & Privacy Group of the Year
- Cooley Earns Top Score on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index
- Cooley’s Trademark Practice Recognized by World Trademark Review
The Cooley alumni network is shaped by the people who move it forward. Share your latest news and help us spotlight the accomplishments and paths of our global alumni community.
Perspectives you can put to work
We share practical insights and perspectives from Cooley thought leaders, offering ideas and lessons that alumni can apply in their own work. These perspectives are designed to spark ideas and provide useful takeaways for navigating today’s evolving environment.
Featured links and articles
Post-IPO Governance Trends Report
An inaugural report exploring how governance structures evolve in a company’s first years after IPO
Listen Early, Grow Faster: A Startup Playbook for Stakeholder Engagement
Q4 2025 Venture Financing Report
Up and flat rounds increased; recapitalization, pay to play and redemption decreased
Delaware Versus Nevada Versus Texas: A Comparison of Corporate Laws
What to Do When a Founder Comes Back as an Activist
The Private Equity Developments That Defined 2025
Watch on demand | Trademark and Copyright Law – What Shaped 2025, What’s Next in 2026
Watch on demand | Key M&A Trends and Legal Developments
Key trends, legal developments and updates relevant to today’s deal economy
Watch on demand | Level Up: Navigating EU and UK Rules for the Gaming Industry – Privacy, AI, Consumer Protection and Online Safety
Connection and events
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3rd Annual Cooley China Life Sciences Symposium
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16th Annual Healthtech Conference
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Comp Talks - Long Road Ahead: Employee Liquidity in Absence of an IPO
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INTA reception
What’s happening across the Cooley alumni network
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