The phrase "appearing to collaborate" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation where individuals or groups seem to be working together, but the collaboration may not be genuine or fully realized.
Example: "The two companies are appearing to collaborate on the new project, but there are underlying tensions that could affect their partnership."
Alternatives: "seeming to work together" or "giving the impression of collaboration".
But in this case, Mr. Cohen is said to have had numerous contacts with Mr. Martoma and appeared to collaborate closely with him.
A recent paper describes a new replication fork protective function of BRCA2, which appears to collaborate with its HR function to suppress genomic instability.
Having experienced disparities between the day and afternoon shifts, some students contended that nurses and physicians appeared to collaborate better with less pressure during the afternoon shifts.
Our study demonstrates that the amnioserosa and epidermis communicate at several steps during the process: sometimes the epidermis instructs the amnioserosa, other times the AS instructs the epidermis, and still other times they appear to collaborate.
Though we recognise that the tensions that played out within our team derived in part from deeper-rooted sensitivities and stereotypes, which would not have been possible to resolve through one project, we do believe that the strategies employed were successful overall, as staff appeared to collaborate fairly well for the remaining duration of the project.
A federal agency appears to have collaborated in an effort to silence foreign workers who claimed they were lured here under false pretenses and abused by the company they worked for.
Yet the structure of the bridal industry conspires to frustrate both bride and retailer; while they appear to be collaborating on a grand romantic project, their economic interests are very different.
In one of several previously undisclosed episodes, the report found that American military interrogators appeared to have collaborated with visiting Chinese officials at Guantánamo Bay to disrupt the sleep of Chinese Muslims held there, waking them every 15 minutes the night before their interviews by the Chinese.
Suddenly both Pakistan and the US appear to be collaborating to root out al-Qaeda in a manner not seen since 2002-2004 when the Pakistan army killed or captured many al-Qaeda operatives.
