When One Door Closes: Reflections from an Accidental General Counsel

Dan is Senior Vice President & General Counsel and a member of the Corporate Executive Team.

Dan joined GSK in September 2008 and is responsible for leading the company’s legal department in protecting GSK’s intellectual property; managing litigation; supporting Business Development transactions; and Business Compliance and Risk management. In 2012, Dan led the integration team following the acquisition of Human Genome Sciences which later resulted in the launch of Benlysta, the first lupus treatment in 50 years. Dan heads GSK’s Contributions Committee in the US and also led the Government Affairs, Public Policy and Patient Advocacy team from 2012 until 2014.

Prior to joining GSK, he was a Partner at the Washington law firm Sidley Austin LLP, where he represented mainly pharmaceutical companies and trade associations on matters related to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and government regulations. Dan was formerly Chief Counsel for the FDA, where he served as a primary liaison to the White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Dan has chaired the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and is a member of the American Law Institute. He currently chairs the US Chamber of Commerce Litigation Center. He has also chaired the Civil Justice Reform Group, as well as the PhRMA Law Section Executive Committee. He was the 2012 CPR Corporate Leadership Award recipient and, in 2013, was named a ‘Legend in the Law’ at the Burton Awards.

Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a juris doctor degree from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and a Kent Scholar. After graduation from law school, he was a law clerk for the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.