BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - March 18, 2008) - Cooley Godward Kronish LLP announced today that Donald K. Stern has joined the Firm as a partner in the litigation department. Stern, who was the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts from 1993 to 2001, will be based in Cooley's 30-lawyer Boston office. He joins Cooley from Bingham McCutchen in Boston, where he has been in private practice for the past seven years.

"Don is a nationally regarded civil and white collar litigator and a highly respected public figure in the Massachusetts bar," said Michael Rhodes, head of Cooley's firmwide litigation practice. "His arrival reinforces Cooley's stature as a top-tier national litigation firm, and strengthens our rapidly growing presence in Boston. We're obviously delighted to welcome him to the Firm."

In private practice, Stern has been involved in a wide range of litigation matters, including internal investigations and white collar defense, whistleblower complaints, class action defense and securities litigation.

"Cooley has tremendous momentum and its litigation practice is working on some of the most dynamic matters in the country," said Stern. "I am proud to join such an energetic and talented team of litigators and trial lawyers and am also excited about contributing to Cooley's continued growth in Boston."

Stern earned a JD from Georgetown Law School and an undergraduate degree from Hobart College. He has been on the faculty of Boston College Law School and, most recently, Harvard Law School. He is a frequent writer and speaker.

Early in his career, Stern was an assistant attorney general in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office where he eventually served as Chief of the Government Bureau. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Stern served as Chief Legal Counsel to former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. He was also previously a partner at Hale and Dorr.

While in private practice over the last several years, Stern was tapped to lead a blue ribbon Commission investigating the death of a college student accidentally killed by the Boston Police in the crowd that gathered after the Red Sox-Yankee playoffs in 2004. He was also appointed by the Governor to lead a Commission investigating certain allegations involving the local Sheriff's Department.

About Cooley's Boston Office

Cooley's Boston office opened in July 2007 and has grown from 10 to 30 lawyers with market-leading expertise in emerging and public companies, life sciences, venture and private equity fund representation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and commercial litigation.

About Cooley's Litigation Practice

Cooley's 300-lawyer litigation department represents many global businesses, particularly in the technology and life sciences sectors, in high-profile trials and major litigation matters in state and federal venues across the country. The Firm has one of the largest patent and IP litigation practices in the country. Cooley litigators also handle a wide range of white collar, regulatory and governmental enforcement matters, and have depth in securities litigation, antitrust, a wide range of consumer class actions, bankruptcy, tax controversy, employment and commercial litigation.

Last year The National Law Journal named Cooley's litigation department to its prestigious "Defense Hot List." This recognition validates the Firm's growing reputation as a "short list" choice of general counsel and boards of directors in the most important matters and disputes facing their companies.

About Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

Cooley Godward Kronish's 650 attorneys have an entrepreneurial spirit and deep, substantive experience, and are committed to solving clients' most challenging legal matters. From small companies with big ideas to international enterprises with diverse legal needs, Cooley has the breadth of legal resources to enable companies of all sizes to seize opportunities in today's global marketplace. The Firm represents clients across a broad array of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, financial services, retail and energy.

The Firm has full-service offices in major commercial, government and technology centers nationwide: Palo Alto, CA, New York, NY, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Reston, VA, Broomfield, CO, Washington, DC and Boston, MA.

For additional information, please visit www.cooley.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Ashley Kanigher 415-786-2994 akanigher@cooley.com