Epstein Becker Green Opens Indianapolis Office to Better Serve Its Client Base and Indiana Life Sciences Industry

NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- The national law firm of Epstein Becker Green (EBG) today announced that it is expanding its presence in Indiana by opening an office in Indianapolis to better serve its growing health care and life sciences client base.

Indiana is home to some of the biggest names in the health care and life sciences fields and, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), is at the center of the booming life sciences industry.  The WSJ stated that Indiana has added 8,800 jobs in life sciences in recent years and is home to approximately 825 medical device companies, drug manufacturers, and research labs. 

For several years, EBG has been building a presence in Indiana with health care and life sciences attorneys on the ground, including Leah Kendall and Bradley Merrill Thompson, both Members of the Firm in its Health Care and Life Sciences practice. A lifelong resident of Indiana, Ms. Kendall graduated summa cum laude from Butler University and summa cum laude (first in her class) from the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington. She has been practicing food and drug law in Indiana ever since. Mr. Thompson began practicing food and drug law with an emphasis on medical device companies 26 years ago in Indiana. He has represented nearly every major drug and medical device manufacturer in Indiana, and many of the smaller and midsized companies. Mr. Thompson founded the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council in 1991 and was one of the founders, and the first executive director, of the Indiana Health Industry Forum in 1993.  In addition, Thompson taught food and drug law at the Indiana University Law School in Indianapolis during the early 1990s.

"EBG would like to applaud the many civic leaders in Indiana who have set the stage for this growth in the Indiana life sciences industry. The work of organizations such as the Indiana Health Industry Forum has been and will continue to be critical to the continued expansion of the life sciences industry in the Hoosier state," said Ms. Kendall, who will work out of the Firm's Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. offices. 

During the last six years, while continuing to live in Indiana, Ms. Kendall and Mr. Thompson have worked out of EBG's office in D.C., traveling throughout the United States and internationally to counsel companies on compliance with FDA requirements. The Firm has developed a global practice in such areas as FDA regulation of software and combination products, or products that are combinations of drugs and medical devices. In addition, the Firm has been deeply involved in the emerging area of mobile health and clinical decision support software.

Ms. Kendall continued, "Expanding our presence in Indiana will only further strengthen our current working relationships with the lawmakers in D.C., the FDA in Maryland, and other key government agencies."

In addition, EBG has longstanding partnerships with Indianapolis-based Anson Group, and Washington, D.C.-based EBG Advisors, Inc., two well-known health care and life sciences regulatory consulting firms.

"We anticipated this trend and growth in the life sciences industry in Indiana years ago and believe that now is an appropriate time to formalize the Firm's presence in the market," said Doug Hastings, Chair of the Firm's Board of Directors.

Wendy Goldstein, Chair of the Firm's National Health Care and Life Sciences Steering Committee, said, "Our capabilities in the field include, but are not limited to, the formation and financing of early-stage ventures, federally and privately sponsored research and development collaborations, clinical trial development, securing regulatory approval, and compliance with all regulatory requirements."

A sampling of EBG's current Indiana-based life sciences clients include Hill-Rom, Biomet, and Roche Diagnostics.

"Biomet regularly looks to Epstein Becker Green for guidance in the health care field," said Robert Hall, VP and Div. General Counsel with Biomet.  "Their lawyers understand we have a business to run, and they take this into consideration during the decision-making process.  EBG is an integral part of our legal team, and we look forward to working with them in the future." 

Besides the Indianapolis office, located at 9001 Wesleyan Road, Suite 212, in the College Park area, Epstein Becker Green has 10 other offices in key cities around the nation, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Stamford, and Washington, D.C.

About EBG's Health Care and Life Sciences Practice:

Since 1973, EBG's Health Care and Life Sciences practice has been at the forefront of health care law, taking the lead in understanding, interpreting, and shaping the issues and regulations that affect health care and life sciences institutions. We have counseled clients through many milestones in health care law—from the enactment of health planning and other major federal health legislation in the 1970s, to the passage of new Medicare legislation and, most recently, the passage of health reform in 2010. Founded by two health care attorneys as a law firm dedicated to serving the health care industry, Epstein Becker Green has grown to include over 100 health care and life sciences attorneys, who are recognized as some of the most honored practitioners in the nation.

About Epstein Becker Green:

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., founded in 1973, is a national law firm with approximately 300 lawyers practicing in 11 offices, in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Stamford, and Washington, D.C. The Firm is uncompromising in its pursuit of legal excellence and client service in its areas of practice: Health Care and Life Sciences, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Corporate Services, and Employee Benefits. Epstein Becker Green was founded to serve the health care industry and has been at the forefront of health care legal developments since 1973. The Firm is also proud to be a trusted advisor to clients in the financial services and hospitality industries, among others, representing entities from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Our commitment to these practices and industries reflects the founders' belief in focused proficiency paired with seasoned experience. For more information, visit www.ebglaw.com.

SOURCE Epstein Becker Green