Baker McKenzie is adding to its health care bench with two attorneys from McDermott, Will & Emery who will focus on FDA regulatory and biopharmaceutical compliance matters in Washington.
Veleka Peeples-Dyer had been co-leader of McDermott’s FDA practice, and is moving to chair Baker McKenzie’s North American FDA Practice Group. Prior to joining McDermott as counsel earlier this year, Khelin Aiken worked as regulatory counsel at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for four years.
“We are excited to add Veleka and Khelin to our North American team,” Randall Sunberg, co-head of the firm’s North America Life Sciences Group, said in a statement. “They bring a unique breadth of regulatory FDA expertise and key subject matter expertise that will allow us to continue to grow across our life sciences sector practice.”
Sunberg moved earlier this year from being co-chairman of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius’s life science practice to join Baker McKenzie’s life sciences practice. He was joined by colleague Denis Segota in the firm’s health care industry practice.
Colin Murray, Baker McKenzie’s North American chief executive officer, said in a statement that newly hired duo from McDermott “really enhance our offering to clients.”
Peeples-Dyer’s experience includes more than two decades advising biopharmaceutical companies and counseling on FDA regulatory and compliance matters, including over 15 years of senior in-house counsel experience in major biopharmaceutical companies. She worked at Accorda Therapeutics, Inc., in New York, and at MedImmune, in Maryland, and at Womble Carlyle law firm.
She has advised clients on a variety of issues, including clinical trials and good clinical practices; current good manufacturing practices, including quality systems and quality management programs.
Aiken also has been a medical malpractice attorney at two law firms, including Wilson Elser. She’ll focus on advising life sciences companies on therapeutic product development plans and marketing applications for prescription drugs, including therapeutic biologics and generics.
She has advised life sciences clients on transactional issues like acquisitions, divestitures, collaborations, clinical trials and related agreements. She has also counseled companies on cannabis and cannabis-derived product development and marketing plans.