Cooley Makes Significant Additions to Life Sciences Patent Group

Cooley now has the largest life sciences patent practice in the US with a 70+ person team

Arrival of partner Walter Wu follows high-profile hire of partner Mika Reiner Mayer

Mayer's team of 10+ lawyers and patent agents rejoins her from MoFo


PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - July 25, 2016) - Cooley is further expanding its patent counseling & prosecution practice with the addition of Mika Reiner Mayer's team from Morrison & Foerster LLP. The team includes lawyer and licensed medical doctor Walter Wu, who joins the firm as a partner. Wu earned his MD from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and his JD from UCLA School of Law.

Mayer and Wu bring with them a team of four associates and six patent agents, with backgrounds spanning all areas of the life sciences industry. The full team includes two medical doctors, three PhD chemists, three advanced-degree bioengineers (two having electrical engineering undergraduate degrees), two mechanical engineers, one chemical engineer and one PhD neuroscientist. Their experience is perfectly aligned with Cooley's already dominant life sciences patent counseling & prosecution practice and their technical breadth enables them to handle complex patent matters covering the full gamut of life sciences technologies.

"This is a great opportunity," said Wu, who specializes in patent prosecution, portfolio strategy and due diligence reviews in the medical device space. "The entire team is excited about the move to Cooley and is looking forward to continuing to grow and build the practice together."

"The arrival of Mika's team demonstrates the momentum of Cooley's patent practice," said Michael Tuscan, co-chair of Cooley's patent counseling & prosecution group. "We are focused on being the first- choice strategic partner to life sciences clients all over the world. I am excited for what we can achieve together."

Cooley's patent counseling & prosecution practice provides patent services to more than 1,000 clients worldwide. With one of the largest patent practices in the AmLaw 50, the group has more than 90 lawyers and patent professionals globally, the majority of whom hold PhDs or advanced degrees in science and engineering.

Cooley has been named to the National Law Journal's IP Hot List four times in five years and was recently ranked as the #1 law firm for life sciences patent matters by Life Sciences Law Firm Index.

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.

Cooley has 900 lawyers across 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe.

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Thomas Freeman