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On September 10, 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) published the long-awaited final rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program into the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). The rule takes effect on November 10, 2025, marking the date when contracting officers may begin inserting CMMC clauses into new solicitations and contracts.1 The DFARS rule aligns with the CMMC program rule issued under Title 32 in December 2024,…

Cooley partner Kristen Mathews was quoted in The Record about growing concerns regarding the privacy of neural data collected by brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Mathews notes that in some cases, neural data collected during research studies is not protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), stressing the need for clearer consent standards and transparency. Read the article This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your…

Cooley partner Kristen Mathews was quoted in The Record about the US Management of Individuals’ Neural Data Act of 2025, which was introduced to protect consumers’ neural data from tech companies and data brokers and directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to collaborate with officials and industry leaders to design a neural data governance structure and fill policy gaps. Mathews suggests businesses would benefit from deciding on voluntary standards to…

Yesterday, three US senators announced that they will soon introduce a novel bill in Congress that, if passed, would set forces in motion to address concerns that some have about the rapid advancement of neurotechnologies that can “read and write” to the human mind. Senators Chuck Schumer, Maria Cantwell and Ed Markey plan to introduce the “Management of Individuals’ Neural Data Act of 2025” (MIND Act), which will apply to…

Hong Kong – September 23, 2025 – Cooley advised Butong Group in connection with its HK$781.84 million initial public offering (IPO). Butong Group specializes in the design and sale of nursery products. It offered 10,980,900 shares priced at HK$71.20 per share, subject to the overallotment option. The company’s shares began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on September 23, 2025, under stock code 6090.HK. Citic Securities and Haitong Capital…

Washington, DC – September 24, 2025 – Cooley today announced that Philip Brown has joined the firm’s global product compliance and litigation practice and East Coast business litigation group in Washington, DC. As special counsel, Brown will leverage his experience with compliance and enforcement within both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to advise the firm’s innovative clients navigating product compliance and litigation matters, including…

Beijing – September 24, 2025 – Cooley advised Hello Group, a leading player in Asia’s online social networking space, on its acquisition of Happn, a France-based leading global dating app that is reinventing the way people meet. Cooley lawyers Yilin Xu, Will Cai, Ruomu Li, Michael Shen, Lunga Su, Bartholomäus Regenhardt, Patrick Van Eecke, Charles Haley, Xander Lee, Hardy Zhou, Athina Gaki and Julie Paulino Montejo led the team advising Hello Group.…

Boston – September 16, 2025 – Cooley advised AllRock Bio, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on advancing therapies for cardiopulmonary and fibrotic diseases, on its $50 million Series A financing to advance AllRock’s lead molecule, ROC-101, a first-in-class, oral pan-rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease. The round was co-led by Versant Ventures and Westlake BioPartners. Lawyers Ryan Sansom, Barry Kuang…

Palo Alto – September 22, 2025 – Forbes magazine has recognized eight Cooley lawyers in its second annual list of America’s Top Lawyers. This year, the publication honored 250 lawyers who “distinguished themselves through notable deals and transactions, impressive trial work, wise counsel, [and] respect from colleagues, arbiters and clients.” The publication honored a cross-section of Cooley litigators and transactional lawyers in six different practice areas: Cooley’s eight total recognized…

Boston – September 23, 2025 – Dallas Cruz has joined Cooley as a partner in the firm’s debt finance practice based in Boston. She brings extensive experience counseling clients in a range of complex finance transactions, with a particular emphasis on representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. “Dallas’ depth of experience guiding clients through the full spectrum of debt finance transactions will be a significant asset to our…

Reston – September 23, 2025 – Cooley advised Aescape, the leader in artificial intelligence-powered recovery technology, on its acquisition of the exclusive rights to Tom Brady’s recovery and longevity protocols. As part of the partnership, Brady joins Aescape as its chief innovation officer, and his business partner, Alex Spiro, joins as a strategic advisor, supporting product development and the company’s growth into sports and capital markets. Lawyers Mike Lincoln, Danielle…

Cooley was recognized for the second consecutive year as an Awesome Opponent on BTI Consulting Group’s Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation list, which featured nearly 100 law firms. The publication further characterized the firm as a litigation powerhouse. The list, which is part of the “BTI Litigation Outlook 2026: More Contentious. More Complex. More Spending” report, highlights the firms that strike the most fear in seasoned general counsel and…

Boston – September 16, 2025 – Cooley advised Clubessential Holdings, a global provider of software as a service and embedded payments solutions for membership-based organizations, backed by Battery Ventures and Silver Lake, on its definitive agreement to merge with Xplor Technologies, a platform providing software and embedded payments solutions to businesses in everyday life verticals, such as childcare and education, fitness and wellbeing, field services, and personal services. The merger…

San Francisco – September 19, 2025 – The Daily Journal has recognized Cooley partner Benedict Hur among its Top 100 lawyers, its annual list celebrating leading lawyers in California who are conducting cutting-edge legal work and making a significant impact in the industry. In its coverage, the publication noted Hur’s work as a leading litigator on behalf of technology companies confronting data privacy and class action claims from users and…

On September 12, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard for Cosmetic Products, an online tool that provides access to adverse event data on cosmetic products. This dashboard allows the public to search, filter and download mandatory reports related to serious adverse events submitted under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) by “responsible…

Singapore – September 22, 2025 – Cooley advised AvePoint (Nasdaq: AVPT), a global leader in data security, governance and resilience, on its SG$260 million underwritten US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered offering of common stock shares and concurrent listing on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). AvePoint offered and sold 13,290,360 shares of common stock priced at SG$19.50 per share, with a 30-day option for the…

Cooley partner Caroline Hobson was quoted in The Lawyer about how the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is reforming its regulatory approach to be more pro-growth while reaffirming its commitment to preventing anticompetitive mergers and behavior. Hobson highlighted that the CMA’s procedural reform has been long overdue, as they had imposed significant costs and operational burdens on businesses, particularly in the merger review process. Read the article (subscription required)…

September 22, 2025 – Cooley advised PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, on its definitive agreement for Allwyn International to acquire a majority stake in PrizePicks at an upfront enterprise value of $2.5 billion. If PrizePicks achieves certain performance metrics over the next three years, additional cash consideration under the agreement would result in an enterprise value of up to $4.15 billion. The transaction is anticipated…

As has been recently widely reported, President Donald Trump has called for an end to quarterly reporting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in favor of a biannual reporting model, and the SEC has announced that it is prioritizing this proposal. While the future of the proposal is uncertain, one collateral consequence of its adoption that has received little attention so far is the potential effect on SEC Form…

On September 3, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new process to support the development of drugs intended to treat rare genetic diseases. The Rare Disease Evidence Principles (RDEP) process offers drug sponsors increased clarity on what constitutes “substantial evidence” of effectiveness for certain rare disease drug treatments, recognizing the unique challenges facing rare disease drug development, i.e., difficulties in enrolling large and randomized clinical trials. Because…

Santa Monica – September 16, 2025 – Cooley advised Dualitas Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation bispecific antibody therapies for immunology and inflammation, on its $65 million Series A financing, to advance a portfolio of next-generation bispecific antibodies, including lead programs DTX-103 in allergic disease and DTX-102 for autoimmune disease, and to accelerate the development of Dualitas’ proprietary DualScreen BsAb discovery engine. The round was co-led by Versant Ventures and…

Palo Alto – September 18, 2025 – Cooley advised the underwriters of StubHub Holdings, a global secondary ticketing marketplace for live events, in connection with StubHub’s $800 million initial public offering (IPO). StubHub offered 34,042,553 shares of Class A common stock priced at $23.50 per share, with a 30-day option for the underwriters to purchase 5,106,382 additional shares. StubHub’s Class A common stock began trading on the New York Stock…

New York – September 2, 2025 – Cooley advised CHARM Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering the next generation of precision oncology treatments through its proprietary artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery platform, on its $80 million Series B financing, to advance its next- generation menin inhibitor into clinical development. The round was co-led by New Enterprise Associates and SR One, with participation from existing investors OrbiMed, F-Prime, Khosla Ventures and NVIDIA. Lawyers…

Chicago – September 11, 2025 – Cooley advised Jump Crypto as a sponsor in connection with $1.65 billion in cash and stablecoin commitments for a private investment in public equity (PIPE) offering by Forward Industries, a global design company serving top-tier medical and technology companies, to initiate a Solana-focused digital asset treasury strategy, aligning Forward Industries with the fast-growing Solana ecosystem. In addition to Jump Crypto, the offering was led…

Palo Alto – September 17, 2025 – Cooley advised CalypsoAI, an adaptive artificial intelligence security platform that empowers enterprises to innovate safely, on its acquisition by F5, a global leader in delivering and securing every app and application programming interface. F5 will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of CalypsoAI, a private company with major operations in Dublin, Ireland, for $180 million in purchase consideration financed primarily with cash. The…

Cooley partner Melissa Gohlke was recognized as a Washington, DC, Rising Star in the National Law Journal’s annual Legal Awards. The National Law Journal’s Legal Awards highlight the top litigation and appellate work from the previous year. The law firms and attorneys recognized this year stood out for their work guiding clients through high-stakes litigation and for their cutting-edge approaches to environmental, social and corporate governance issues, along with their…

Hong Kong – August 29, 2025 – Cooley advised Harbour BioMed (HBM Holdings, HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics in oncology and immunology, on its HK$517.75 million placement of new shares under general mandate. Harbour BioMed placed 45,022,000 new shares priced at HK$11.50 per share. Citi acted as the sole overall coordinator and sole placing agent for the placement. Partner…

New York – September 16, 2025 – Today, Cooley announced that Sean W. Brownridge has joined as a partner in the firm’s M&A group and new chair of its activism defense practice. Based in the firm’s New York office, Brownridge brings extensive experience counseling boards, management teams and investors on activist engagements, having guided some of the most high-profile proxy contests and campaigns in recent history. He is a widely…

Claire Keast-Butler, co-partner in charge of Cooley’s London office, was quoted in a Law.com article about the representation of women partners among UK law firms. Reflecting on Cooley’s top five ranking for women equity partner representation, Keast-Butler emphasizes the role the firm’s culture and professional development programs and initiatives play in driving meaningful change and representation. Read the article (subscription required) This content is provided for general informational purposes only,…

Cooley partner Patrick Van Eecke, co-chair of the firm’s global cyber/data/privacy practice, was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article about the European Union’s Data Act, which introduces regulations for smart devices and cloud-related service providers with a goal to expand data protection and give users more control over nonpersonal data. However, the act’s broad scope creates legal, contractual and technical difficulties, and Van Eecke highlighted how the Data Act is…

Cooley partners Mike Lincoln, vice chair of the firm, and Travis LeBlanc, co-chair of the cyber/data/privacy practice, have been named to Washingtonian magazine’s 2025 Tech Titans list. The annual list profiles the most influential and innovative leaders in the Washington, DC, tech sector – including lawyers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, cybersecurity experts and government officials. This marks LeBlanc’s second consecutive appearance on the list and Lincoln’s ninth recognition by the publication.…

New York – September 12, 2025 – Cooley advised LB Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia, on its $285 million upsized initial public offering (IPO). LB Pharmaceuticals offered 19,000,000 shares priced at $15 per share, with a 30-day option for the underwriters to purchase an additional 2,850,000 shares. LB Pharmaceuticals’ common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on September…

New York – September 15, 2025 – Today Cooley announced that Tejal Shah has rejoined the firm as partner in its global litigation department. Shah returns to Cooley after nearly 12 years at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she served in a series of increasingly senior leadership positions, culminating in her service as one of the New York office’s Associate Directors. Shah now becomes a core member of…

On September 8, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued two bulletins aimed at eliminating “politicized or unlawful debanking” by the banks it supervises. The OCC’s guidance is “consistent with” President Donald Trump’s recent executive order (EO) 14331, which directs “Federal banking regulators,” including the OCC, to remediate past instances and prevent against future acts of politicized or unlawful debanking.1 The first bulletin reminds banks that debanking activities…

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit released its decision on the appeal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data breach notification and reporting rules. The FCC order, which largely became effective in 2024, revised the definition of reportable data breaches, modified the requirements for customer notifications of breaches and required breaches to be reported to federal law enforcement and the FCC. The general effect of these changes…

Cooley partner Kenneth Krisko, head of the firm’s life sciences corporate partnering and licensing practice group, was quoted in a BioSpace article about biotechnology companies’ pipeline-in-a-product approach. Krisko discusses the power of combination therapies, how pipeline-in-a-product assets can allow companies to invest in research and development and manufacturing, and these products’ potential for extended revenue over time. Read the article This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and…

Cooley partner Helenanne Connolly was quoted in a Bloomberg article examining the financial and strategic costs of CEO dismissals from public companies. Connolly notes that departing executives often attempt to capitalize on the urgency of their departure by negotiating for more severance and additional perks, contributing to the overall cost. She also emphasizes the importance of companies’ coordination and execution when announcing the departure. Read the article This content is…