Speaker details

Biography

Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Vanessa represents clients in healthcare regulatory matters, including those involving the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). She has advised pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, healthcare and technology companies, hospitals and other providers in connection with regulatory and compliance needs, as well as in connection with M&A and capital-raising transactions. She has extensive experience counseling clients with respect to FDA enforcement matters, health privacy, security & breach issues, healthcare fraud and abuse matters, and cannabis and hemp laws. Previously, she held several government positions, including HIPAA Privacy Officer & Attorney for the Department of Public Health for the City of Chicago. She also advised Members of Congress on FDA matters as a Legislative Attorney with the Congressional Research Service, including laws that expanded FDA’s regulatory and enforcement authorities. She handled healthcare law, administrative law and constitutional law matters during the creation and passage of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Vanessa has spoken at events including BIO International Convention, the IBA’s 2024 World Life Sciences Conference, the Food & Drug Law Institute’s Annual Meeting and Introduction to Drug Law and Introduction to Device Law programs, the American Health Law Association (AHLA) Annual Meeting, Advising Providers Conference, Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals Law Institute, and AHLA webinars on specialty drugs, HIPAA, and telehealth. Vanessa is counsel of record for a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief in a FDA case. She has also had several articles published in Law360 and was a member of Law360’s Health Care Editorial Advisory Board. She is a member of the American University Washington College of Law Health Law & Policy Program Alumni Advisory Council and the AHLA Fundamentals of Health Law Program Planning Committee. She has also served on the FDLI’s Publications and Webinar Committees and as the Vice Chair of Member Engagement for the AHLA’s Women’s Leadership Council. Vanessa received her J.D., cum laude, from American University, Washington College of Law, an M.A., with honors, from Queen’s University Belfast, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Valparaiso University. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Illinois.