Sidley Austin LLP announced today that William A. McConagha has joined the firm in its Washington, D.C. office as a partner in its Food, Drug and Medical Device Compliance and Enforcement and Food, Drug and Medical Device Regulatory practices. Mr. McConagha joins Sidley from the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA). Most recently, he has been on detail from the FDA acting as the Health Policy Advisor to the Chairs of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Mr. McConagha has spent more than 17 years in high-level positions with the FDA and he brings a deep knowledge of FDA regulatory and enforcement matters to Sidley. While with the HELP Committee he played a key role in negotiating, drafting and analyzing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and FDA Food Safety and Innovation Act of 2012. He also counseled Committee leadership on FDA-related aspects of the Health Care Reform Legislation and provided counsel to the Chairman and Committee leadership on all FDA-related legislative matters pending before the Committee during his tenure.
“Bill has a reputation for being a thoughtful and evenhanded regulator, and his extensive experience dealing with FDA-related legislative matters and some of today’s most complex legal matters in FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel, will make him an valuable addition to our team,” said Mark Hopson, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office. “We welcome him and look forward to his many contributions.”
Prior to his role with the HELP Committee, McConagha served the FDA in many capacities, including as Assistant Commissioner for Accountability and Integrity in the Office of the Commissioner, Acting Deputy Chief Counsel, Associate Chief Counsel to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and Associate Chief Counsel for enforcement. During his lengthy tenure, he has developed deep substantive experience in a wide range of enforcement and regulatory matters, including Good Manufacturing Practice and Quality System Regulation matters.
“Bill’s vast experience dealing with the complex issues relating to FDA compliance and enforcement will immediately make him a tremendous asset to our clients,” said Raymond Bonner, head of Sidley’s Food, Drug and Medical Device Compliance and Enforcement Practice. “He joins our internationally recognized team of lawyers focused on these issues, many of whom have also previously held senior level Government positions. His broad background in both legal and policy matters makes him a natural fit.”
“I am pleased to be joining Sidley, a firm with a strong, global FDA practice,” said McConagha. “It provides the perfect platform for me to utilize my years of government experience.”
