Font Size: 
Cooley Brings On IP Trio From White & Case
The Recorder
September 01, 2009
After losing a number of key partners in recent weeks, Cooley Godward Kronish is picking up three IP litigators from White & Case.
Palo Alto, Calif., partners Heidi Keefe, Mark Weinstein and Mark Lambert joined Cooley Monday. The three represent clients like Facebook, Cisco Systems and HTC Corp. in patent cases.
The additions come shortly after seven well-known Cooley partners hit the exits. The departures started when M&A stars Keith Flaum and Richard Climan left for Dewey & LeBoeuf in July.
"We are going to an institution storied in the Valley, with connections in the tech space that are unrivaled," Keefe said. "The opportunity to serve our clients that are connected to the tech world are so synergistic."
While several of the recent Cooley departures have left for more global firms, the White & Case lawyers said they were going to Cooley because of its local connections with tech companies.
"Everyone talks about international footprint and leaving for global platforms," said Weinstein, who was managing partner of the White & Case office. "There are practices that benefit from the global platform; for others, it is more important to have a strong local practice, and IP litigation is more in that category."
White & Case has 36 offices in 25 countries around the world, while Cooley has nine domestic offices.
The White & Case lawyers became acquainted with Cooley because the two firms are both doing IP cases for Facebook, the lawyers said. Keefe and Weinstein are defending the social networking site in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Cross Atlantic Partners. Cooley handled a class action over privacy concerns at Facebook.
Michael Rhodes, the head of Cooley's litigation department, said he liked what he saw.
"They're entrepreneurial -- they have shown an ability to attract and generate business," Rhodes said. "They're in their late 30s, they're hungry, and their best years are ahead of them."
Cooley hasn't been known for its IP litigation practice since a group of IP litigators led by Lloyd "Rusty" Day left to start their own firm more than 10 years ago. But Rhodes said the firm has built up the practice to about 100 lawyers and has recently handled work for the likes of Qualcomm Inc. The firm also does a lot of work for patent-holding companies or "patent trolls" like Acacia Technologies and Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing.
Discussing recent departures from his firm, including last week's news that antitrust partners Craig Waldman and Michael Knight are exiting to Jones Day and John Brockland and Jane Ross to Dewey, Rhodes downplayed the losses.
"Once you get past Rick and Keith," he said, "there's not much there there."
Keefe, Weinstein and Lambert came to White & Case's Palo Alto office 4 1/2 years ago from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Although they'll be leaving White & Case, they won't be going that far. Cooley's office is about six floors down in the same building. William Coats, a senior partner in White & Case's Palo Alto office, said the firm appreciated "their hard work, and wishes them the best."
