WASHINGTON—Deepti Kulkarni has joined Covington as a partner in the Food, Drug & Device Practice group. She will be based in the firm's Washington D.C. office.
Deepti is a leading authority on animal food and drug regulation and innovative food technologies, providing strategic advice to clients on a wide range of complex matters involving Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory oversight. Drawing from over a decade of experience working in both FDA's Office of Chief Counsel and private practice, she has played a significant role in the development and implementation of the regulatory frameworks for alternative proteins as well as bioengineered food and agriculture products. Deepti also regularly advises companies developing and marketing animal products, foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics at nearly every step of the product lifecycle. She also counsels clients on potential crises, such as product recalls, import refusals, and other regulatory actions.
Deepti formerly served as an Associate Chief Counsel in the FDA's Office of Chief Counsel, where she served as a lead counselor to FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, which regulates animal food and drugs. In this role, she was the primary lawyer responsible for and developed extensive experience in a broad range of regulatory and enforcement matters involving animal food and drugs, including in particular the Agency's work on genetically engineered animals and enforcement of animal product noncompliance. Deepti also counseled FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and other components of FDA and HHS on a wide range of issues relating to human foods and dietary supplements, as well as cross-product matters involving imports and exports and constitutional issues.
"As one of the most prominent lawyers in animal food and drug matters and cutting-edge food technologies, Deepti's arrival will further support our extensive practice that serves nearly all of the major U.S. veterinary drug companies, pet food and animal feed manufacturers, and major pet supply retailers, as well as food tech innovators," said Miriam Guggenheim, co-chair of Covington's Food, Drug and Device Practice Group. "Deepti's reputation, credibility within the industry, and past private practice and FDA and USDA experience provide her with a practical understanding and an insider's insight into leading clients through the most heavily regulated product classes on the market."
"Covington's collaborative culture and multi-disciplinary approach to serving client needs was a strong draw," said Deepti. "I look forward to hitting the ground running and working at a firm that has the breadth, depth, and geographical reach to serve the broad needs of clients."
Deepti received her B.S. from the University of Maryland and her J.D. from the University of Maryland's Francis King Carey School of Law.
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