GSK, Again, Has a Legal Friend in Washington
You could be forgiven for thinking that under the Obama Administration, GlaxoSmithKline might be at something of a disadvantage as a lobbyist.
After all, GSK’s general counsel is the ultra-conservative Daniel Troy (pictured), the man who, when at the FDA under Bush, tried to write regulations that prevented drug companies from “disclosing too much.”
But you would be wrong. President Obama’s new attorney general, Eric Holder (below), is a former lawyer for GlaxoSmithKline.
Holder complemented his high-profile investigations and criminal work with dozens of employment cases, many of which he handled with Williamson. Holder defended MBNA Corp. — now part of Bank of America — as well as Purdue Pharma and GlaxoSmithKline against claims of racial, gender and national origin discrimination.
Holder was a lawyer at Covington & Burling when he represented GSK.
- Previous stories about GSK lawyers:
- GSK’s Troy Hobbled His Future Employer From Reporting Tykerb Risks
- New CEO Veihbacher, Plucked From the U.S., Could De-Frenchify Sanofi
- What Message is GSK Sending the FDA With Its Appointment of Daniel Troy as General Counsel?
- Can Pharma Survive DTC Ad Restrictions?
Jim Edwards, a former managing editor of Adweek, has covered drug marketing at Brandweek for four years, and is a former Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University's business and journalism schools. Follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
BNET User Analysis