NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 10, 2014) - Cooley LLP announced today that Divakar Gupta has joined the firm as a partner in its business department. He will be a member of Cooley's capital markets practice group, based in New York.

Gupta, who joins Cooley from Latham & Watkins LLP, focuses his practice on the representation of public and private emerging growth companies and investment banking firms. He has considerable experience on significant business transactions, including public offerings of equity, high yield debt and convertible debt, venture capital financings and mergers and acquisitions. Gupta also advises public and private companies on securities and general corporate matters. He has deep expertise across various industries including life sciences, technology, health care, REITs, energy and retail.

"Div is a leading corporate and securities practitioner who will be a great asset to Cooley, in New York and nationwide," said Fred Muto, chair of Cooley's business department. "His substantive expertise, deal experience, interpersonal skills, network and enthusiasm complement the core principles of our firm and will help drive the continued success of our capital markets group. Given the high level of emerging company activity in the New York area, we are also pleased to add him to our New York-based business and finance team."

"Cooley has become one of the country's preeminent firms for guiding global investment banking underwriters and innovation-focused issuers on major capital markets work," Gupta said. "I'm thrilled to be joining such a group, and look forward to contributing to its further success."

In 2013, Cooley's capital markets practice had a record year, advising on 60 public offerings, including 23 IPOs that raised more than $8.4 billion. Year-to-date in 2014, Cooley has advised on 24 completed public offerings, including 13 completed IPOs -- including four led by New York partners. Last year, Cooley attorneys also handled more than 120 M&A transactions, with an aggregate deal value of more than $12.4 billion.

Gupta earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2000 and his B.S. in Chemistry from Yale University in 1997.

View Cooley's capital markets infographic here.

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Cooley's attorneys solve legal issues for entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions and established companies. Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and bet-the-company litigation, often where innovation meets the law.

Cooley has more than 750 lawyers across 11 offices in the United States and China.