Cooley London head Stock exits to Akin in three-partner move

Cooley’s London managing accomplice Justin Inventory has left the agency to affix Akin as worldwide know-how follow head, together with two different companions.

Akin has employed three companions from Cooley into its London workplace. Cooley London managing accomplice Justin Inventory will transfer to the agency alongside Stephen Rosen, a Authorized 500 Corridor of Famer for mid-market personal fairness transactions who headed Cooley’s London company follow, and know-how transactions accomplice David Bresnick.

Inventory will be part of Akin as worldwide know-how follow head, and can work with Rosen and Bresnick to deepen Akin’s power in tech transactions.

‘Justin, Stephen and David’s excellent reputations out there, coupled with their in depth transactional expertise in excessive progress sectors corresponding to know-how and life sciences, considerably improve our world company platform,’ mentioned Akin chair Kim Koopersmith in an announcement.

‘Their addition underscores our dedication to our know-how targeted shoppers and extra broadly to the know-how sector each in London and globally, making certain we proceed to offer unmatched consumer service.’

Akin London accomplice in cost Sebastian Rice added: ‘The arrival of Justin, Stephen and David is a major step for our London workplace and offers Akin a market-leading world know-how transactions crew, specializing in shoppers in modern industries together with disruptive commerce, know-how, well being care, life sciences, knowledge, knowledge privateness, gaming and vitality transition. We’re notably enthusiastic about their capabilities to develop the tech M&A pipeline and including depth to our world know-how follow.’

Again in February, Cooley additionally noticed the departure of M&A accomplice Michal Berkner who left for McDermott Will & Emery’s transaction follow.

Inventory led a five-partner Morrison Foerster crew to Cooley in January 2015 as a part of Cooley’s London workplace launch. Bresnick moved with Inventory from Morrison Foerster, whereas Rosen got here to Cooley from Olswang in Might 2016. Solely considered one of Cooley’s 2015 Morrison Foerster hires stays on the agency: Chris Coulter. Ed Lukins went to Orrick in 2019 and Nicholas Bolter left for Morgan Lewis in 2020.

Akin, in the meantime, first launched in London in 1997, and burst onto the scene in earnest in 2014 with a 22-partner rent from Bingham McCutchen, which collapsed in 2015.

The departures carry Cooley’s London accomplice headcount right down to 30, in accordance with the agency’s web site.

‘We thank Justin, Stephen and David for his or her contributions and need them nicely sooner or later. We look ahead to persevering with our bold progress plans in London, serving a few of the world’s most fun innovators and tech and life sciences firms’, a Cooley spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

alexander.ryan@legalbusiness.co.uk