2028 Summer Associate – Compensation

Cooley LLP is recruiting 2L students (JD 2029) to join its Boston, Chicago, New York, Palo Alto, and Santa Monica offices as summer associates in its Compensation & Benefits practice for the 2028 Summer Program. Applicants must submit a cover letter describing their interest in Compensation & Benefits, resume and undergraduate transcript. A 1L law school transcript is also required but can be submitted later if it is not available at the time of application. Please only apply to one office. Since 2020, Cooley has handled 1,600+ M&A transactions, with an aggregate value of over $735 billion + , making our practice one of the most active in the world. We represent all categories of participants in transactions, including buyers, sellers, major stockholders, lenders, financial advisors, management, special board committees, venture capitalists, individual investors, private equity funds, hedge funds and others. To learn more about our market-leading Compensation & Benefits practice, click here . Our clients — ranging from emerging growth companies to large public corporations, as well as CEOs, other members of senior management, boards of directors, individual directors and fiduciaries of employee benefit plans — view us as their problem solvers, not just dispensers of legal knowledge. Our approach is grounded in the importance of delivering our services with technical proficiency, a prompt and concise response, creativity, practical application and genuine concern. We regularly work with employers on projects driven by special needs, including employee benefits issues raised by mergers and acquisitions, workforce reductions, equity incentive programs for employers with expanding foreign operations and shareholder relation issues related to say-on-pay proposals, for the full lifecycle of a company. We are well versed in all aspects of executive compensation, including public disclosure under SEC rules; institutional shareholder and proxy advisory firm "hot buttons"; the design, drafting and implementation of a wide range of compensation plans; and the tax, securities law, labor and corporate governance aspects of compensation programs and policies. We have extensive experience in formulating and negotiating employment and severance arrangements for senior executives, including change in control agreements and indemnification agreements, and dealing with "golden parachute" issues. We provide regular counsel regarding tax-qualified retirement programs subject to ERISA, as well as exempt programs such as top-hat plans and severance pay arrangements. Our lawyers have deep experience with ERISA's plan asset regulations on behalf of our venture capital, private equity and other investment fund clients. On the health & welfare plan side, we assist clients in the establishment of all varieties of such plans, and help them navigate the regulatory landscape, including compliance issues arising under the Affordable Care Act. This is a summer associate position, and the expected salary is based on an annualized rate of $235,000, with semi-monthly base pay of $9,791.67, subject to payroll withholdings and deductions. Qualified candidates will have exceptional academic achievement and professional excellence. Ideal candidates possess excellent written and verbal communication abilities; strong legal research and writing skills; and sound judgment with proven problem-solving skills. They show initiative, motivation, and a service-oriented mindset; have meaningful prior work experience; engage in extracurricular or leadership activities; work effectively in team settings; and bring an entrepreneurial, business-minded perspective. An interest and enthusiasm in the practice is essential.