Cooley Continues Rise in Legal 500 US 2026 Rankings
New York – June 11, 2026 – Cooley continued its strong showing in the Legal 500 US 2026 edition, gaining increased recognition across a total of 45 practice areas. The firm received top-tier recommendations for life sciences, technology transactions, cyber law (including data privacy and data protection), capital markets: equity offerings: advice to issuers, and venture capital and emerging companies.
The firm additionally received five new practice area rankings for financial services litigation, state attorneys general, copyright, education and sport. Eight of its practice area rankings were higher than they were in 2025.
The Legal 500 US guide also recommended 100 Cooley lawyers, including 46 recognized as leading lawyers in their respective fields, six profiled in the guide’s Hall of Fame and eight highlighted as next-generation partners.
The following is a complete list of Cooley’s Legal 500 US 2026 rankings:
Recommended practice groups
- Capital markets: debt offerings: advice to issuers
- Capital markets: debt offerings: advice to underwriters
- Capital markets: equity offerings: advice to issuers
- Capital markets: equity offerings: advice to managers
- Capital markets: global offerings: advice to issuers +
- Capital markets: global offerings: advice to underwriters +
- Corporate governance +
- CFIUS
- Civil litigation/class action: defense
- Commercial lending: advice to borrowers
- Copyright *
- Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates +
- Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals +
- Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Education *
- Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Financial services litigation *
- Financial services regulation: banking
- Financial services regulation: consumer finance
- Fintech
- General commercial disputes – premium ($500 million+)
- International arbitration
- Land use/zoning
- Life sciences
- M&A: large deals ($1 billion+)
- Merger control
- Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate +
- Securities litigation: defense
- Shareholder activism: advice to boards
- Sport *
- State attorneys general *
- Technology transactions
- Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Trademarks: litigation
- Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing) +
- Transport: aviation and air travel – litigation and regulation
- US taxes: non-contentious +
- Venture capital and emerging companies
- Workplace and employment counseling
Indicates Tier 1 ranking
* Indicates new ranking
+ Indicates improved ranking
About Cooley LLP
Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation.
Cooley has nearly 1,400 lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of more than 3,000 people.
Related services
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Activism Defense
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Antitrust and Competition
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International Arbitration
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Aviation – Manned and Unmanned
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Business Restructuring
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Capital Markets
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CFIUS
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Commercial Litigation
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Communications Regulatory
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Compensation and Benefits
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Corporate Governance and Securities Regulation
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Cyber/Data/Privacy
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Debt Finance
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Emerging Companies
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Export Controls and Economic Sanctions
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Financial Services Enforcement and Regulatory
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Fintech and Payments
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Healthcare
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Intellectual Property
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Higher Education
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Mergers and Acquisitions
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Patent Counseling and Prosecution
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Patent Office Litigation
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Private Equity
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Labor and Employment
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Land Use and Zoning
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Life Sciences and Healthcare
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Securities Litigation + Enforcement
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Sports+
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State Attorneys General
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Tax
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Technology
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Technology Transactions
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Telecommunications and Wireless
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Trade Secret Litigation and Dispute Counseling
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Trademark, Copyright and Advertising
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Venture Capital
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White Collar Defense and Investigations
Related Contacts
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