Expanding its nationally-ranked Life Sciences practice, McDermott Will & Emery LLP announced today that it has added two leading lawyers in this industry group both of whom will be resident in its Washington, D.C. office.

Glenn Engelmann, immediate former Vice President and General Counsel at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, joins McDermott’s Health and Life Sciences practices.  In advising clients, he will leverage his 25 years of experience managing complex legal and regulatory matters in the pharmaceutical industry.  As a leader of McDermott’s multi-disciplinary global Life Sciences practice, Glenn will be integral in the ongoing development of its growth.

At Astra Zeneca, a top five global pharmaceutical company, Engelmann served as a member of the company’s executive leadership team responsible for managing the US business. In this role, he provided advice and support to company leadership in addressing a wide range of legal and regulatory matters including defending multiple Federal and State investigations and patent challenges.  For the past two years, he was also responsible for the legal support for the global sales and marketing organization.  In an era of increasing regulatory oversight of the pharmaceutical industry, Glenn brings his deep legal understanding enhanced by practical experience to McDermott.  Engelmann is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and is a member of the DC Bar.  He is also past chair of the PhRMA Law Section Executive Committee.

Also joining the Firm’s Life Sciences practice is Susan Lee, who will serve as a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) associate in the Washington DC office.  Lee, previously with Covington & Burling, will provide legal guidance Firmwide to clients in business planning, product development, product testing and clinical trials, submissions to the FDA, marketing, compliance and enforcement matters, and congressional activities. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Susan served as Vice President for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress, and as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and a Member of the New York and Washington, D.C. bar associations.

“Together, Glenn and Susan enhance McDermott’s already formidable capabilities in Life Sciences,” said Stephen W. Bernstein, head of the Firm’s Health Industry Advisory Practice Group. “Each brings unique insights and experiences that will enable the Firm to better service the needs of our global clients. Indeed, Glenn’s in-depth experience working for one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies enables him to know firsthand the concerns and motivations that drive our clients, particularly in the regulatory area. Also, Susan’s experience working so closely with top clients on FDA matters both in a legal and a business context expands the scope and reach of our existing FDA practice.”

“I am thrilled to join the strong life sciences team at McDermott and add my deep industry experience and perspective,” said Engelmann.  “I am drawn to McDermott’s multidisciplinary and coordinated approach to life sciences practice and value the opportunity to join the leadership team.”