Gerald Masoudi Rejoins Covington

Gerald Masoudi Rejoins Covington

October 1, 2020

WASHINGTON—Gerald Masoudi, former General Counsel of Celgene Corporation and then JUUL Labs, has rejoined Covington’s Food, Drug, and Device Practice Group in Washington as a partner.

Mr. Masoudi has more than 25 years of broad experience in the life sciences industry. He served as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2007 to 2009. He also has held positions in the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice; as the general counsel of two large, highly regulated companies; and as a partner in private practice. He provides strategic legal, policy, and regulatory advice to life sciences clients, with a focus on FDA enforcement of manufacturing and promotional rules. His practice will focus on guiding clients through significant corporate transactions, litigation, shifting regulatory expectations, and intensive crisis management activities.

“We are thrilled to have our good friend and former partner, Jerry Masoudi, rejoin Covington,” said Denise Esposito, co-chair of the firm’s Food, Drug, and Device Practice. “Jerry’s return will strengthen the firm’s premier FDA regulatory practice, and his strong expertise in high-profile compliance and enforcement matters will provide great value to our clients. Jerry brings a unique profile and diverse set of experiences from his time in government, in private practice, and with FDA-regulated companies.”

Mr. Masoudi most recently served as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of JUUL Labs and as Counselor and Advisor to its CEO. He was responsible for the company's global legal strategy and also was centrally involved in JUUL Labs’ crisis management efforts, including in response to congressional requests and in preparation for congressional hearings.  He also supervised JUUL Labs’ strategy with respect to government investigations and civil litigation matters.

From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Masoudi was the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Celgene Corporation, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company now owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. While at Celgene, he was involved in numerous major legal and strategic matters, including  IP strategy; two multibillion-dollar corporate acquisitions; a False Claims Act settlement resulting in no Corporate Integrity Agreement; antitrust litigation; congressional and public policy strategy relating to regulatory issues; and corporate governance.

Mr. Masoudi was a partner and co-chair of Covington’s Food and Drug Practice Group from 2009 to 2015. Before joining Covington in 2009, he served as Chief Counsel of FDA, where he was responsible for supervising FDA’s involvement in civil and criminal litigation and investigations; providing legal review of warning letters, guidances and regulations; and providing advice to the FDA commissioner and senior leadership on matters relating to FDA regulated products. Before joining the FDA, Mr. Masoudi served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for international, policy, and appellate matters in the Antitrust Division at the DOJ.

“I look forward to rejoining my Covington colleagues and applying the perspective I gained in-house advising clients on their particular legal needs,” said Mr. Masoudi. “Now more than ever amid the worldwide pandemic, life sciences lawyers play a key role in advising companies on the front lines as they navigate a rapidly shifting regulatory and compliance landscape.”

Mr. Masoudi graduated from The University of Chicago Law School and received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College. He clerked for Judge Frank H. Easterbrook of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.