Bayer AG Promotes ‘Strategist’ Dodero as US General Counsel

Bayer AG tapped a veteran of two decades at the company, William Dodero, to be U.S. general counsel and senior vice president.

Dodero, who Bayer President Patrick Lockwood-Taylor called “an accomplished legal strategist and practitioner,” starts the new role Jan. 1, according to a company statement Thursday.

He was vice president and global head of litigation and earlier in his career served as global legal head for the consumer health business. Before that, he was senior counsel in the pharmaceutical business and litigation group.

Bayer is said to be searching for a new chief executive officer while battling lawsuits related to its agricultural and healthcare products. Chairman Norbert Winkeljohann is fielding internal and external contenders to succeed Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann, Bloomberg News reported in September, citing people familiar with the matter.

The search raises the prospect of an early departure amid sustained shareholder discontent with Baumann, who joined the company in 2016 and oversaw the costly acquisition of crop science giant Monsanto. The company apportioned $16 billion to cover legal battles over cancer-causing allegations against weedkiller Roundup, which it acquired in the Monsanto deal.

Dodero succeeds Scott Partridge, who’ll depart at the end of the year to pursue dispute resolution representation and advocacy.

Dodero will oversee compliance, corporate law, litigation, safety and environmental law, employment and labor law, and international trade services, according to the Leverkusen, Germany-based company.

The company has been on a legal winning streak, securing its fifth consecutive trial victory in September as it seeks to tackle tens of thousands of lawsuits against Roundup. Company officials in the Thursday statement credit Dodero’s strategy for the wins.

The company paid $40 million to resolve US lawsuits linked to allegations that Bayer officials bribed hospitals and physicians to use its drugs, Bloomberg News reported Sept. 2. Bayer didn’t admit wrongdoing in the deal with federal prosecutors, some state attorney generals and ex-marketing employee Laurie Simpson, who filed two “whistleblower” suits.

—Brian Baxter contributed to this report.