Douglas N. Cogen
Partner
Corporate
Douglas N.
Cogen
Douglas N.
Cogen
Partner
Corporate
One of the nation's leading M&A lawyers, Doug has advised companies on more than $250 billion in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.
He also advises clients on strategic and commercial transactions, corporate counseling and governance, securities matters, shareholder activism and takeover defense. He led Fenwick’s M&A practice for over 20 years and served as a member of the firm’s executive committee for 10 years. Doug is ranked by Chambers & Partners as Band 1 for Corporate/M&A in their USA guide and among the world’s leading Corporate/M&A lawyers in their global guide. Client testimonials in the Chambers guides have consistently referred to Doug as “strategic”, “innovative”, and an “incredible negotiator who sees the big picture”.
Doug's transactional experience spans more than 25 years and includes cross-border transactions in the software, cybersecurity, internet, biopharma, medical diagnostics, medical devices, telecommunications, networking, semiconductor, computer hardware, packaged food and consumer products industries.
Doug served as director of Intergovernmental Relations for the New York City Planning Commission. He has lectured on transactional law at Columbia University Law School, Stanford University Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
[Doug] is a brilliant strategist and adviser on very complicated matters. He is also a remarkable business guru."
Chambers USA, Client Quote
2022 Edition
- Over 200 deals for Cisco Systems, including the acquisitions of:
- Scientific-Atlanta for $6.9B
- NDS Group for $5B
- Acacia Communications for $4.5B
- AppDynamics for $3.7B
- Webex Communications for $3.2B
- Starent Networks for $2.9B
- Sourcefire for $2.7B
- Duo Security for $2.3B
- BroadSoft for $1.9B
- VeriSign's $21B merger with Network Solutions
- Symantec’s $10.7B sale of its Enterprise Security business to Broadcom
- Concur’s $8.3B acquisition by SAP
- GitHub's $7.5B acquisition by Microsoft
- Symantec’s $7.4B sale of the Veritas information management business to The Carlyle Group
- Excite's $7.2B merger with @Home
- Symantec's $4.65B merger with Blue Coat
- NetScreen Technologies' $4.3B merger with Juniper Networks
- Macromedia's $3.4B merger with Adobe Systems
- Symantec’s $2.3B acquisition of LifeLock
- Fitbit's $2.1B acquisition by Google
- ArcSight’s $1.5B acquisition by Hewlett-Packard
- Elantec Semiconductor's $1.4B acquisition by Intersil
- Over 200 deals for Cisco Systems, including the acquisitions of:
- Scientific-Atlanta for $6.9B
- NDS Group for $5B
- Acacia Communications for $4.5B
- AppDynamics for $3.7B
- Webex Communications for $3.2B
- Starent Networks for $2.9B
- Sourcefire for $2.7B
- Duo Security for $2.3B
- BroadSoft for $1.9B
- VeriSign's $21B merger with Network Solutions
- Symantec’s $10.7B sale of its Enterprise Security business to Broadcom
- Concur’s $8.3B acquisition by SAP
- GitHub's $7.5B acquisition by Microsoft
- Symantec’s $7.4B sale of the Veritas information management business to The Carlyle Group
- Excite's $7.2B merger with @Home
- Symantec's $4.65B merger with Blue Coat
- NetScreen Technologies' $4.3B merger with Juniper Networks
- Macromedia's $3.4B merger with Adobe Systems
- Symantec’s $2.3B acquisition of LifeLock
- Fitbit's $2.1B acquisition by Google
- ArcSight’s $1.5B acquisition by Hewlett-Packard
- Elantec Semiconductor's $1.4B acquisition by Intersil
- Shockwave Medical’s $13.1B acquisition by Johnson & Johnson
- Loxo Oncology’s $8B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Alpine Immune Sciences’ $4.9B acquisition by Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Cepheid’s $4B acquisition by Danaher
- Chinook Therapeutics’ $3.5B acquisition by Novartis
- Morphic’s $3.2B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Audentes Therapeutics’ $3B acquisition by Astellas Pharma
- DICE Therapeutics’ $2.4B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Agilent Technologies’ $1.5B acquisition of Varian
- Amunix’s $1.2B acquisition by Sanofi
- Dermira’s $1.1B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Connetics' $930M merger with Stiefel Laboratories
- Veracyte’s $600M acquisition of Decipher Biosciences
- Shockwave Medical’s $13.1B acquisition by Johnson & Johnson
- Loxo Oncology’s $8B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Alpine Immune Sciences’ $4.9B acquisition by Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Cepheid’s $4B acquisition by Danaher
- Chinook Therapeutics’ $3.5B acquisition by Novartis
- Morphic’s $3.2B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Audentes Therapeutics’ $3B acquisition by Astellas Pharma
- DICE Therapeutics’ $2.4B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Agilent Technologies’ $1.5B acquisition of Varian
- Amunix’s $1.2B acquisition by Sanofi
- Dermira’s $1.1B acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Connetics' $930M merger with Stiefel Laboratories
- Veracyte’s $600M acquisition of Decipher Biosciences
- Clif Bar & Company's $2.9B acquisition by Mondelēz
- Diamond Foods’ $2.35B Reverse Morris Trust merger with the Pringles business of Procter & Gamble (ultimately abandoned)
- Fitbit’s $2.1B acquisition by Google
- Diamond Foods’ $1.9B acquisition by Snyder’s-Lance
- Diamond Foods’ $615M acquisition of Kettle Chips
- Cisco Systems’ $590M acquisition of Pure Digital
- Cisco Systems’ $500M acquisition of Linksys
- Diamond Foods’ acquisition of the Pop Secret business from General Mills
- Clif Bar & Company's $2.9B acquisition by Mondelēz
- Diamond Foods’ $2.35B Reverse Morris Trust merger with the Pringles business of Procter & Gamble (ultimately abandoned)
- Fitbit’s $2.1B acquisition by Google
- Diamond Foods’ $1.9B acquisition by Snyder’s-Lance
- Diamond Foods’ $615M acquisition of Kettle Chips
- Cisco Systems’ $590M acquisition of Pure Digital
- Cisco Systems’ $500M acquisition of Linksys
- Diamond Foods’ acquisition of the Pop Secret business from General Mills
[Doug] is strategic...thinks on his feet and is always looking out for clients' backs but aiming to get a deal done."
Chambers Global, Client Quote
2022 Edition
[Doug] is strategic...thinks on his feet and is always looking out for clients' backs but aiming to get a deal done."
Chambers Global, Client Quote
2022 Edition
Recognition Recognition Recognition
Recognition Recognition Recognition
Law360
2024
"MVP of the Year" for Life Sciences
Chambers Global
2019-2024
Ranked in Corporate/M&A (International & Cross-Border)
Chambers USA
2006-2024
Leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A law
The Legal 500
2024
M&A Powerlist: United States
Lawdragon
2021-2022, 2024-2025
500 Leading Dealmakers in America
Law360
2019
“MVP of the Year” for Technology
The Deal
2018
“Lawyer of the Year” for technology and telecom dealmaking
The Daily Journal
2006, 2013, 2018
Top 100 Attorneys in California
- "Hall of Fame," The Legal 500, 2018 – 2023
- Ranked, Leading Lawyer, United States - M&A/Corporate, The Legal 500, 2014 – 2019
- “Deal Maker of the Year,” Finance Monthly, 2015, 2017
- Listed, Top 50 Global M&A Lawyers, Global M&A Network, 2014
- M&A Lawyer of the Year, Global M&A Network, 2010
- Ranked, M&A, Who’s Who Legal, 2014 – 2023
- Ranked, Corporate Governance, Who’s Who Legal, 2018 – 2023
- “Elite Dealmaker,” IFLR1000, 2018
- Best Lawyers in America, M&A, U.S. News - Best Lawyers, 2011 – 2021
- Northern California “Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers, 2006 – 2021
Law360
2024
"MVP of the Year" for Life Sciences
Chambers Global
2019-2024
Ranked in Corporate/M&A (International & Cross-Border)
Chambers USA
2006-2024
Leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A law
The Legal 500
2024
M&A Powerlist: United States
Lawdragon
2021-2022, 2024-2025
500 Leading Dealmakers in America
Law360
2019
“MVP of the Year” for Technology
The Deal
2018
“Lawyer of the Year” for technology and telecom dealmaking
The Daily Journal
2006, 2013, 2018
Top 100 Attorneys in California