Former JUUL Labs Lawyer Masoudi Returns to Covington as Partner

Gerald Masoudi has returned to Covington & Burling after a five years away from the firm, first as general counsel for pharmaceutical company Celgene Corp., and then as the top legal officer with electronic cigarette manufacturer JUUL Labs.

Masoudi is a Washington-based partner with Covington’s food, drug, and device practice group. He has a lengthy resume as a top life sciences, pharmaceutical and drug device attorney, including a two-year stint as chief counsel with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Jerry’s return will strengthen the firm’s premier FDA regulatory practice, and his strong expertise in high-profile compliance and enforcement matters will provide great value to our clients,” said Denise Esposito, co-chair of Covington’s food, drug, and device practice in a Covington statement.

Masoudi’s practice at Covington will focus on significant corporate transactions, litigation, shifting regulatory expectations, and intensive crisis management activities.

He served as JUUL Labs’ chief legal officer and corporate secretary, according to a Covington statement, and then as counselor and advisor to Chief Executive Officer K.C. Crosthwaite.

Masoudi was responsible for JUUL Labs’ global legal strategy and also played a key role in the company’s crisis management efforts.

The company has faced several lawsuits from states, cities, and individual users for allegedly deceptive marketing practices aimed at luring children and teens to use the company’s addictve, nicotine-laced products. Juul’s legal woes may have reached a peak in February, when 39 state attorneys general announced a joint probe.

Masoudi first worked for Covington from 2009-2015, when he left for Celgene, according to his LinkedIn profile. He left Celgene for JUUL Labs in June of 2018, several months before news was announced that Celgene would be acquired by global pharma giant Bristol-Myers Squibb in a $74 billion cash-and-stock deal.