Cooley Gains Int'l Corporate Specialist From Winston & Strawn (Law360)

By Amanda Bransford

Cooley LLP has added a former Winston & Strawn LLP partner well versed in international business matters to its Washington office, supporting the firm's international regulatory, corporate, government contracts and white collar practices, Cooley announced Tuesday.

Danish Hamid comes to Cooley with nearly 15 years' experience working with clients including Fortune 500 companies on international business transactions and compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws, as well as assisting companies in internal investigations.

The firm says it is eager to add Hamid to its expanding international practice.

"His arrival could not be more timely, as Cooley increases its international focus to address our clients' increasing global business needs," Cooley CEO Joe Conroy said.

Hamid told Law360 he was looking forward to joining the well-respected firm.

"This is a firm made up of smart, savvy lawyers who understand the 21st-century needs of clients and the changes that are occurring in our profession. I am also very impressed with Cooley's strong cross-marketing culture. The practice and the business of law is a collaborative process. Cooley gets that," Hamid said.

Hamid's main interest is international corporate transactions, and he says he stepped into his expertise in anti-corruption laws as a natural byproduct of this work.

"One cannot be an effective international lawyer without being prepared to advise clients on the FCPA. It goes without saying that corruption lies at the heart of many of the problems plaguing the developing world. I find it very rewarding to counsel clients on doing business overseas in a manner which demonstrates a strong commitment to ethics and compliance," he said.

With recent increases in enforcement activity, Hamid says his FCPA practice has expanded over time.

Hamid also does plenty of work outside of his anti-corruption practice. A particularly rewarding experience has been providing counsel to the nonprofit Education for Employment Foundation, which works with U.S. educational institutions to create vocational training programs for young people from the Middle East and North Africa. Graduates are then paired up with potential employers.

"EFE is playing an instrumental role in improving lives, and it has been an honor to be a part of that," Hamid said.

The addition of Hamid takes the number of Cooley attorneys in the Washington and Reston, Va., offices to 130. Hamid joins after other key partner additions last year, including former senior ITC attorney Stephen Smith and health care information technology lawyer Drew Gantt.

Firmwide, Cooley now has over 650 attorneys, representing clients from such diverse industries as technology, venture capital, clean energy, life sciences, real estate and retail. Cooley has offices in San Diego; San Francisco; Palo Alto, Calif.; New York; Washington; Boston; Seattle; Broomfield, Colo.; and Reston, Va.

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