Latest news with #Cooley
Irish Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Quantity surveyor pleads guilty to assaulting young woman almost 10 years ago
A Co Donegal man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a young woman causing her harm in Letterkenny. Quantity surveyor Seamus Cooley appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court where he pleaded guilty to assaulting Shanan Reid McDaid and causing her harm on October 15, 2017 at Castle Street in Letterkenny. The 50-year-old, who is originally from Buncrana, had been in custody in Castlerea Prison since June 20 for breaching his previous bail conditions. Ms Reid McDaid was not present as the court was told that she is currently living in Australia. At the time of the assault Ms Reid McDaid was 18 years old and a third level student. The accused man, wearing a striped shirt and jeans, spoke only to plead guilty to the charge when it was read to him by the court registrar. Cooley was remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison since June 20th after being found to have breached conditions of his bail when he appeared at Cavan District Court. A fresh application was made at Letterkenny Circuit Court for bail but was refused by Judge Roderick Maguire. His barrister, Mr Feargal Kavanagh, SC, told the court that his client's sister, Ms Sinead Moore, would provide a €1,000 surety and said Cooley was willing to tender €10,000 compensation to the victim. Mr Kavanagh, with Mr Pat Sullivan, BL, said Cooley has spent 21 days in a 'grossly overcrowded' prison and is finally facing up to the charge referring to cramped conditions in the prison of up to three prisoners in one cell. Mr Kavanagh asked that legal aid be extended to cover a psychiatric assessment and report on Cooley. He said that Cooley is not a flight risk and needs 'immediate intervention:' Ms Fiona Crawford BL, barrister for the State, said that Cooley has already taken a bench warrant in this and that there have been two applications previously for the revocation of bail. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week In remanding Cooley in custody at Cavan Circuit Court, Judge John Aylmer said that the accused had 'displayed arrogance' and showed a 'flagrant disregard' for bail conditions previously set by the court. Under the terms of his bail, Cooley was due to sign-on three times a week at Buncrana Garda Station, but he had only an 82% adherence. Cooley told the Gardai that he was happy with the amount of times he was signing on and that he was happy to sign on when it suited him. He told Gardai that he started working throughout the country and it 'didn't suit him some days' to sign on. Before Judge Maguire, Mr Kavanagh said Cooley now requires professional intervention and that he has had difficulty facing up to the issues. Mr Kavanagh told the court that there have been a number of legal teams involved in managing his case. 'He seems to be finally in a position where he is facing up to this issue,' Mr Kavanagh said, 'Putting him into a prison cell with three others and hoping to advance matters is not going to serve justice. He is five years facing trial and the stresses of that alone are not doing him any favours.' Ms Crawford pointed out that, having pleaded guilty, Cooley no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence. Mr Kavanagh said his client has turned up on each and every occasion to court and said he was concerned that Cooley's mental health could deteriorate. Judge Maguire noted that an affidavit of Garda Neil Kemmy shared three breaches: he was not inhabiting an address given to Gardai; he was not signing on as required; and he interacted with the complainant. Ms Moore told Judge Maguire that her brother previously attended a psychotherapist and believed that he would again benefit from mental health intervention. She said she would 'do my absolute best' to be on her brother's case on a daily basis to ensure that he abided by the terms of his bail. Ms Moore told the court that she had not had much interaction with her brother recently, but added: 'I will be involved now. I really will.' Mr Kavanagh said he was anxious that the State did not victimise Cooley by incarcerating him. 'He knows what he is facing,' Mr Kavanagh said. 'It will make things far more difficult to do justice if he is incarcerated.' He said that Cooley's guilty plea has avoided a four-five day trial and asked Judge Murphy to impose conditions, accept the surety and allow Cooley to engage with services. Judge Maguire extended legal aid to cover a psychiatrist consultation and report, but given the history in the matter - noting that Cooley was given a chance to adhere to conditions, but then breached them - he said he would not grant bail. Cooley was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in October.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where LSU football's 2026 recruiting class ranks nationally after busy Fourth of July
The Fourth of July, as it is every year, was jam-packed with college football recruiting news. A handful of blue-chip prospects around the country revealed their commitments and LSU football was at the center of the action. The Tigers missed some big names, but LSU added two priority recruits to its 2026 class. LSU earned a commitment from four-star tackle Bryson Cooley out of Mississippi. Cooley's commitment continued LSU's run of success recruiting the state of Mississippi. Cooley joins five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys and four-star offensive tackle Emmanuel Tucker as 2026 LSU commits from the state. LSU is now up to 14 commits. The headliners of the group are Keys and five-star defensive tackle Richard Anderson. Fifty-seven percent of the class hails from Louisiana. After a busy week, the recruiting rankings look a little different. Here's a look at where Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers sit in the latest recruiting rankings. LSU football 2026 recruiting class rankings LSU ranks outside of the top five, but the Tigers are contending for the No. 1 recruiting class in college football. LSU doesn't have the same quantity as other programs, but that will come in due time. LSU does hold the title when it comes to quality, though. LSU's 2026 class ranks No. 1 in average recruit rating in both Rivals and 247Sports' rankings.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU football's 2026 offensive line class is loaded. Here's a look at every player.
LSU football recruits offensive linemen at an elite level. Offensive line coach Brad Davis took over the room in 2021, and his first crop of recruits included Will Campbell and Emery Jones. Both players were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, with Campbell being picked in the top five by the New England Patriots. In recent classes, LSU signed Tyree Adams and Weston Davis. Both were among the best offensive tackles in their respective recruiting class, and the duo is expected to hold down LSU's tackle spots in 2025. In the most recent recruiting class, LSU signed Carius Curne and Solomon Thomas, two highly-touted linemen strong enough to make an immediate contribution. And now Davis is doing it again in the class of 2026. With a commitment from Bryson Cooley on July 4, LSU is building one of the top offensive line crops in the nation. Here's a complete look at where LSU's 2026 offensive line recruiting class stands now. Brysten Martinez, 4-star, Louisiana On3 Industry Ranking: No. 111 national, No. 10 offensive tackle, No. 6 Louisiana Martinez is one of the Louisiana recruits of the cycle. 247Sports' Gabe Brooks calls Martinez a "Run-game tone setter who showed noticeable improvement in pass protection from sophomore to junior year." ESPN is the highest on Martinez, slotting the tackle as the No. 86-ranked recruit. Martinez will look to follow the recent success of Louisiana-made tackles at LSU. Emmanuel Tucker, 4-star, Mississippi On3 Industry Rating: No. 204 national, No. 16 offensive tackle, No. 9 Mississippi Tucker committed to LSU earlier this Summer, continuing LSU's run of success recruiting the state of Mississippi. According to Rivals, he measures in at 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds. On3 is the highest on Tucker, ranking the Mississippi prospect No. 146 nationally and No. 14 at his position. Bryson Cooley, 4-star, Mississippi On3 Industry Rating: No. 387 national, No. 32 position, No. 14 state Cooley is the most recent addition to the class, committing to the Tigers on July 4. Cooley picked the Tigers over SEC powers like Georgia, Alabama, and his home state schools, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Rivals is the highest on Cooley, ranking him as the No. 18 tackle in the class. Cooley was a late riser in the recruiting class, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him finish as a top 300 prospect. Jalen Chapman, 3-star, Louisiana On3 Industry Ranking: No. 838 nationally, No. 81 position, No. 25 Louisiana Chapman is the lone offensive lineman in LSU's 2026 class listed as an interior player. He hails from Warren Easton, a Louisiana high school powerhouse. On3 and 247Sports rank Champman outside the top 100 at his position, but ESPN slots the New Orleans product No. 31 among interior offensive linemen.
Perth Now
21-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Indigenous art fair weaves legacy through every fibre
What started as a small market to support Aboriginal arts, crafts, tourism and bush food businesses now attracts vendors from the most remote corners of the nation. The Blak Markets began in Sydney's La Perouse in 2014, providing a space for Indigenous artists and small businesses to showcase their wares. It grew so popular they decided to open it up to arts centres from across Australia in 2017, said Peter Cooley, the chief executive of First Hand Solutions, which runs the market. "We got 11 arts centres from different parts of the country - Western Australia, the Northern Territory - making that journey over," the Bidjigal man told AAP. "It went crazy. People flocked knowing that there was going to be remote artists and art centres in town." The success of these markets made Mr Cooley think there was a need for an Indigenous art fair in Sydney. Now in it's sixth year, the National Indigenous Art Fair brings more than 30 remote art centres and almost 100 artists from across Australia together to showcase their works including textiles, fashion, ceramics, homewares and jewellery. Mr Cooley said there was something for everyone at the art fair, but admitted a soft spot for the weaved pieces. "You look at the master weavers and you see how they do their craft and their work and it's just like 'wow'," he said. One such master weaver is Regina Pilawuk Wilson, from the remote community of Peppimenarti, 300 kilometres southwest of Darwin. An internationally acclaimed Ngan'gikurrungurr artist and a cultural leader behind Durrmu Arts, Ms Wilson is known for her paintings based on weaving traditions. She began putting these works on canvas as a way to pass on her legacy, just as she passes her weaving knowledge on to younger members of her family and community. "When I was seven or eight, we used to help my mother get sandpalm and pandanus," she said. "She taught us how to weave and now I'm teaching lots of girls and young generations how to weave. "It is important to teach them so they can carry on what their ancestors used to do before the white people came to Australia." Wilson will host a weaving workshop during the art fair, using the same fibres her mother taught her to weave with, merrepen (sandpalm). The fair will be held in Sydney on July 5 and 6, marking the beginning of NAIDOC Week. Mr Cooley said with the 2025 NAIDOC theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy he hopes the art fair can leave a positive mark for all Australians. "We've just gone through a very difficult period since the referendum ... where we are still exposed to and feel a lot of racism, which seems to be very open these days," he said. "(The art fair) is a great way to put those perceived ideas of how people see us ... to put that to bed."
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sequoia-backed Crosby launches a new kind of AI-powered law firm
The tech industry talks a lot about how AI is going to transform work. Legal startup Crosby, which just came out of stealth with a $5.8 million seed round led by Sequoia, is perhaps the most extreme example of what's coming that we've seen to date. Crosby isn't just making AI software for lawyers – although it is doing that. Crosby is an actual law firm using AI to provide legal services at a speed never before possible. Rather than selling tech to lawyers, Crosby has hired lawyers who use its internally developed AI software. It sells contract-review legal services, largely to startups. The company is currently promising that its AI software, with human overseers, can review a new client contract in under an hour. And it hopes to get that down even faster – perhaps to just minutes, according to its co-founder CTO John Sarihan, who spoke with TechCrunch. Ryan Daniels, Crosby's co-founder and CEO, is a lawyer himself and the son of two law professors. He cut his teeth at Cooley, one of the biggest firms that represents the tech industry. He then spent the better part of a decade doing general counsel work for startups. 'My last company, where I was the only legal person, grew from about 10 to 100 people, and I found that most of the time that I was spending on legal was for our contracts, sales agreements, [and] MSAs,' Daniels said, referring to the part of a customer contract known as a master service agreement. Contract negotiations and legal review were such a bottleneck at the company that they were the 'reason why we weren't growing as fast as we wanted to.' Today, contract negotiation remains a human-to-human process, which can take weeks or months. While there are a growing number of AI tools that help lawyers speed up parts of their work, Crosby's founders believed that the only way to use AI to really change the legal industry, was by 'building our own law firm in order to own the entire process, end to end,' said Daniels. Sarihan, who was an early employee at Ramp, set about hiring software engineers from the startup world, while Daniels began hiring lawyers. Today the startup employs about 19 people, including the founders. 'The innovation here is in the tech and in the people,' Sarihan said. The firm soft launched in January, the co-founders said, and it has already reviewed over 1,000 customer contracts — like MSAs, data processing agreements, and non-disclosure agreements — for fast-growing startups like Cursor and the sales automation startups Clay and UnifyGTM. Sequoia's Josephine Chen and Alfred Lin led the seed round along with Bain Capital Ventures with participation from a bunch of angels like Ramp co-founders Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, Opendoor co-founder Eric Wu, Casetext co-founder Jake Heller, Instacart co-founder Max Mullen, and the co-founders of Flatiron Health, Zach Weinberg and Gil Shlarski. The stars aligned for Crosby to land Sequoia as an investor. Chen knew Sarihan from Ramp. She had previously met him through the co-founder of Venue, an AI procurement startup she had backed and that was acquired by Ramp last year. When the co-founders pitched their idea to Chen, she asked Sequoia's in-house lawyer about the idea, and that lawyer, Cindy Lee, knew Daniels from her time at Cooley. 'When we think about seed investing, for us, it's probably 70% around the team and 30% around the market, market dynamics, and the insight that the founders have there,' Chen explained. Given all the connections she already had to the founding team and that legal work is a $300 billion industry, Chen was down to disrupt it with Crosby. 'We had seen, even in our own portfolio [companies], how negotiating contracts can be a bottleneck for growth,' Chen said. Legal, in her view, is 'a bull's-eye case for the use of LLMs.'
