Former US Senator Richard Burr joins DLA Piper's regulatory and government affairs practice group

DLA Piper has welcomed former US Senator Richard Burr to the firm’s regulatory and government affairs practice group as a principal policy advisor and chair of the health policy strategic consulting practice. He provides policy advice, strategic consulting, and a wide range of related services to life sciences and healthcare clients.

After nearly three decades in federal service as a US congressman and senator, Burr is widely known as a government authority in healthcare and life sciences policy.

A team of policy advisors will join Burr in his move to DLA Piper and supplement the firm’s legal, policy, economic, medical, and technological attorneys and advisors in the healthcare and life sciences field. Together, this team of professionals will provide a variety of services including multi-disciplinary strategic planning, business consulting, and congressional and federal agency consulting, as well as deep-dive examinations of client businesses to identify legislative or regulatory opportunities and/or vulnerabilities.

“We are excited to join DLA Piper and help clients navigate the funding, regulation, policy and political landscape of the healthcare system, from drug development to patient care, with unparalleled insight and strategic advice at a time of regulatory and political uncertainty,” said  Burr. “In addition to the draw of DLA Piper’s strong platform, its expansive global footprint is one of the reasons we chose the firm. Life sciences is global by every nature, and this allows us to build a roadmap to advise clients no matter where they’re doing business.”

Burr’s arrival continues the growth of DLA Piper’s group. In the last 24 months, the firm has also added former US representative Jim Greenwood, chair of the firm’s life sciences policy practice; former Pfizer chief regulatory counsel Geoff Levitt, co-chair of the firm’s FDA regulatory group; former senior advisor to the commissioner to the FDA Sharon Mayl, partner in the FDA regulatory group; economist Kirsten Axelsen, the firm’s senior policy advisor on health policy, and more than twenty other healthcare and life sciences attorneys and advisors.

“The addition of Senator Burr is yet another way the firm is further distinguishing and refining its service offerings and capabilities in the life sciences and healthcare sectors with the aim of keeping our clients advised of what’s around the corner,” said Frank Ryan, DLA Piper’s Americas chair, global co-chair and global co-CEO. “Senator Burr and his team will offer strategic advice based on institutional knowledge, political intelligence, and a nuanced understanding of marketplace conditions in a complex global economy.”