Ex-FDA counsel joins Juul

Juul Labs has appointed Gerald F. Masoudi as chief legal officer, effective July 9, 2018.  In his new role, Masoudi will be responsible for the company’s global legal strategy and will report to Juul’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burns. Masoudi will be based in the company’s Washington D.C. office.
Since 2015, Masoudi has served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Celgene Corporation. He previously served as chief counsel (2007-09) and principal deputy/acting chief counsel (2004-05) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In those roles, Masoudi supervised agency litigation and advised the FDA’s senior leadership on regulatory and enforcement matters.
“Jerry is a renowned legal expert in FDA regulation and life sciences, and I am honored to welcome him to the Juul Labs team,” said Burns. “Juul Labs is incredibly fortunate to benefit from his knowledge and experience as we work with the medical community, public health officials, regulators and community leaders to address the tremendous potential of e-cigarettes.”
“I am thrilled to join Juul Labs and contribute to the Company’s important mission to eliminate combustible cigarette smoking,” said Masoudi. “I believe vapor technology has great promise, and I look forward to collaborating with key stakeholders to provide an alternative for adult smokers around the world.”
In addition to his time working for the FDA, from 2009-2015, Masoudi was a partner and co-chair of the food and drug practice at the Washington, D.C. office of Covington & Burling, where he advised FDA-regulated companies on a wide range of regulatory and litigation matters. Masoudi also served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was responsible for international, policy and appellate matters. Masoudi also practiced for a decade as a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott.
Masoudi earned a B.A. in economics from Amherst College in 1990 and a J.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School in 1993.