Cooley builds a 14-role AI team around differentiated client service

On September 24, Reuters reported that Cooley was recruiting for 14 roles in a firm-owned AI subsidiary, including a senior AI data engineer advertised at $220,000 to $250,000, as major firms competed for scarce technical talent. The report placed the hiring inside a broader move by firms to build proprietary capabilities rather than rely only on common software. For client and BD teams, proprietary talent becomes commercially relevant only when it produces clearer outcomes, faster delivery or a service experience clients can recognize. The watchpoint is whether firms integrate those specialists into pitches and account planning early enough to shape solutions, rather than introduce them after scope and price are already fixed.