Cooley adds Linklaters' global head in Brussels

Cooley adds Linklaters' global head in Brussels

In the heated M&A market, Jonas Koponen brings experience in investigation, litigation and transactional dealings

The co-chair of Linklaters' antitrust and foreign investment group in Brussels has been added to Cooley's team.

A former co-head of Linklaters' life sciences and healthcare practice, as well as a member of the firm's antitrust and competition team, Jonas Koponen, joins the firm after more than 20 years. An experienced lawyer with a wide range of experience, he has worked on complex transactions, investigations and lawsuits.

Cooley partner Jacqueline Grise, chair of the firm's antitrust and competition group, says Jonas is a well-known and recognized antitrust leader in Europe and globally. Jonas' extensive expertise and background in the M&A space will help our team to deliver successful results for our clients, considering the growth of our M&A practice - with deals increasing in terms of number, size and complexity.

Refinitiv's global M&A review shows that merger and acquisition activity surpassed the earlier record of $4.2tr set in 2015 to reach $5.9tr last year. According to Refinitiv, Cooley handled 276 deals worth $149.68bn, placing her at number 25 on the list of global M&A legal advisors by deal volume.

As a merger and acquisition attorney, Koponen represents clients in evaluating merger and acquisition transactions for the European Commission and other enforcement agencies overseas. As an investigator, he represents clients in a wide range of investigations, including matters related to business conduct, cartels and anti-competitive agreements and practices.

Chambers has ranked Koponen's experience as Band 3 for competition and he has experience in the financial services, life sciences, healthcare, telecommunications, software and technology industries. A part of his transactional work has included advising clients such as Takeda Pharmaceutical Company on its recommended offer of £46bn for UK biotech outfit Shire and Johnson and Johnson on several acquisitions such as Synthes for $21.3bn in 2012 and Abbott Medical Optics for $4.3bn five years ago.

Cooley's lawyers impressed Koponen with their ability to deliver results for their clients and Koponen added: "I'm anxious to be a part of such an exciting time for our clients and for our firm."

Koponen is the third partner to join Cooley this year. Earlier this month, the firm added Caroline Hobson and Ethan Glass to its antitrust and competition practice in London and the latter moved to Cooley's global litigation department in Washington, DC from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

Earlier this month, Cooley said the company had seen its revenue increase by 28 percent in 2021 to reach $1.9 billion, while its profit per equity partner increased by 28 percent to reach $4 million. A key factor contributing to growth was the boom in mergers and acquisitions in the US tech sector, which was fueled, in part, by SPAC deals.

With an office opening in Brussels in 2019, the firm also pointed to its expanding litigation practice, which brought nine lawyers from Winston & Strawn, Latham & Watkins and DLA Piper to open in Chicago in May. A trio of litigation partners was added in July, including former Latham & Watkins Litigation group chair Matthew Kutcher, who was formerly employed by the Justice Department of Chicago.