Ray LaSoya, chair of the private equity practice at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, has joined Cooley as an M&A partner in Los Angeles.

LaSoya, who came to Stroock in 2011 after co-chairing the private equity group at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, said he has known and worked on deals with various Cooley lawyers, including M&A co-chair Barbara Borden, for about 15 years.