Goodwin partner Alexander Varond has been named to Daily Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in California for 2022. The annual list recognizes the elite young lawyers across the state who have led transformative matters for clients.
A partner in Goodwin’s Technology & Life Sciences group and co-chair of the firm’s FDA Litigation practice, Varond counsels across a wide range of FDA regulatory matters with extensive experience in medical device and drug development, patent and exclusivity issues, as well as regulatory strategy. He also advises clients on advertising and promotional issues, leads the FDA regulatory side of corporate transactions, and defends companies during civil and criminal investigations on matters such as off-label promotion and GMPs. Varond’s key focuses include orphan drug development, accelerated approval, and patient advocacy. Ever since his earlier work as a medical device engineer at a small biotech company, Varond has been passionate about helping companies gain regulatory approval and deliver therapies to patients in need.
Recently, Varond moved to the firm’s San Francisco office, where he works to create new opportunities for collaboration with Goodwin’s California lawyers as well as drive the expansion of the firm’s California client base. A member of Goodwin’s West Coast Life Sciences Hiring Committee, he is also charged with further capitalizing on the growth of Goodwin’s West Coast life sciences practice in additional new markets.
“By helping companies innovate and also creating access to capital in a smart, sophisticated way, that’s where we think we can help our client’s best,” said Varond.
Beyond his practice, Varond serves as a board member of the Ogden C.A.R.E.S. Foundation, a patient advocacy group dedicated to supporting families with Ogden syndrome (also called NAA10-related syndrome), a life-threatening childhood neurodevelopmental condition. Recently, Varond helped the foundation attain 501(c)(3) designation and receive a grant from the Zuckerberg Foundation. He also dedicates himself to a variety of pro bono projects, including VoteRiders, which provides free information and help with voter ID in all US states, and the New England Innocence Project.
Varond has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He was recently recognized as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 United States for Healthcare: Life Sciences, as the guide referred to him as a “Hatch-Waxman expert.” In 2021, the National Law Journal named Varond a Rising Star in Washington, DC, and he has also been included in Best Lawyers in America for his expertise in FDA Law. In 2018, LMG Life Sciences selected Varond for their U.S. Regulatory Rising Star Award in recognition of his experience in FDA regulatory law.