Cooley recruits tax/equity remuneration tax partner from WilmerHale: Paula Holland
Cooley continues to expand in London with the recruitment of Paula Holland from WilmerHale. Holland will join Cooley as a partner in its business department and member of the firm’s compensation and benefits practice, focusing on helping clients in the startup and VC communities. Two experienced corporate associates, Tamsin Crane and Ciaran Rooney, also from WilmerHale, will complete the team move.
Holland had been a partner at Wilmer Hale for 8 years, focusing on the operation of UK, US and other equity remuneration arrangements. She specializes in the establishment of share schemes for employees and non-employees and the impact of corporate transactions thereon. Her transactional experience includes dealing with share incentive aspects of full and partial takeovers, US mergers, delistings, IPOs, schemes of arrangement, rights issues, demergers and private equity transactions. She also regularly advises on the tax, labor and securities laws aspects of implementing and amending international equity arrangements.
“With London’s flourishing tech sector and Cooley’s inherent strengths working alongside startups, VCs and private equity firms, Paula’s practice will be a tremendous value-add in London,” said Justin Stock, managing partner of Cooley’s London office. “Her multifaceted experience will offer significant opportunities for transatlantic collaboration in Cooley’s core areas of tech, life sciences and VC investment. I’m excited for her dynamic team to integrate and help further propel this practice forward.”
“Cooley’s dedication to the UK market has been enticing to watch over the course of this year,” Holland said. “The opportunity to bring a team over to such a vibrant office makes great sense, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together as London continues to blossom as a European hub of tech, innovation and opportunity. Going forward, our clients will get the benefit of a truly ‘venture ambidextrous’ approach to growing startups and tapping investment and opportunity on both sides of the Atlantic. Cooley is unique in this market in combining full-service English law capabilities with Palo Alto sensibilities and connections.”