Cooley LLP announced today that Kevin Rooney and Louis Lehot have joined the firm’s Business department as partners based in its Palo Alto office. They both join from Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, where Rooney chaired the firm’s Emerging Growth/Venture Capital and Technology M&A practices, and Lehot led its Capital Markets and Public Company M&A practices.

“Kevin and Louis are both seasoned corporate attorneys with extensive experience representing public and private companies that fit naturally with Cooley’s client base,” said Fred Muto, chair of the Business department. “They are a great addition to our leading corporate team in Silicon Valley.”

Rooney represents US, and Canadian and other foreign public and private companies in corporate and securities matters, including mergers and acquisitions and public and private financings. He is an advisor to entrepreneurs at Bay Area accelerators Kicklabs, NestGSV, Factory, Ahead of Fashion, and at Communitech Hyperdrive, a Canadian accelerator. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at University of San Francisco School of Law and was a lecturer at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Lehot advises domestic and global private and public companies, their investors and investment banks in complex equity and debt securities transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions. He also represents emerging companies and their investors in financing and liquidity transactions.

“Louis and I are excited about joining a full-service practice supporting leading growth companies at all stages,” said Kevin Rooney. “We think Cooley is the firm with the momentum, the teamwork and the resources to achieve the best results for our dynamic client base.”

“Kevin and I look forward to helping Cooley continue to strengthen its growing capital markets practice for both growth companies and investment banks,” added Louis Lehot. “We also plan to contribute to Cooley’s powerhouse M&A practices for private and public growth companies.”

Rooney received his Honors Co-op B.A.Sc. (Engineering) from the University of Waterloo in 1994 and his LL.B. from Dalhousie Law School in 1999. Lehot received his B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1994 and his J.D. from Boston College Law School in 2000.

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