Movers & Shakers

Nixon Peabody (Washington, DC): The firm has named Seth Mailhot the new leader of the FDA regulatory practice in its Washington, DC, office. Mailhot, who joins the firm as counsel, will also be a member of its life sciences and health services practices. He spent 14 years with the Food and Drug Administration as a certified medical device investigator, an engineer and a compliance officer. Most recently, he was an associate at Latham & Watkins, also specializing in food-and-drug law.

Bass, Berry & Sims (Nashville): Leigh Walton, a partner in the firm's health care practice in the Nashville office, has accepted an invitation to become a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a nonprofit, independent national research institute committed to basic empirical research on law and legal institutions.

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons (Houston): Charles Miers has joined the firm as partner in the Houston office. Miers, formerly of Abbott Simses, will focus his practice on commercial litigation, employment issues, maritime claims, products liability claims, toxic tort and mass tort claims, class action defense and wrongful death and personal injury claims.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Gail Javitt has joined as counsel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory practice. Javitt will focus on regulation of laboratory-developed tests and in vitro diagnostic devices, pharmacogenomics and genetic testing. Previously, she was law and policy director for the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington. Javitt earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith (Los Angeles): Lewis Brisbois is opening offices in Houston and Beaumont, TX, through the acquisition of Adams & Heald, an insurance defense law firm with 11 attorneys. Adams & Heald focuses on insurance and corporate defense, including personal injury, products liability, toxic torts, admiralty and medical malpractice.

Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby (Newark, NJ): The firm has added new partners Catherine Flynn and Marisa Kussoy, who are launching its health-care law group. Flynn and Kussoy were both previously partners with Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper in Westfield, NJ.

Nixon Peabody (Washington, DC): The firm has named Seth Mailhot the new leader of the FDA regulatory practice in its Washington, DC, office. Mailhot, who joins the firm as counsel, will also be a member of its life sciences and health services practices. He spent 14 years with the Food and Drug Administration as a certified medical device investigator, an engineer and a compliance officer. Most recently, he was an associate at Latham & Watkins, also specializing in food-and-drug law.

Bass, Berry & Sims (Nashville): Leigh Walton, a partner in the firm's health care practice in the Nashville office, has accepted an invitation to become a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a nonprofit, independent national research institute committed to basic empirical research on law and legal institutions.

Beirne, Maynard & Parsons (Houston): Charles Miers has joined the firm as partner in the Houston office. Miers, formerly of Abbott Simses, will focus his practice on commercial litigation, employment issues, maritime claims, products liability claims, toxic tort and mass tort claims, class action defense and wrongful death and personal injury claims.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Gail Javitt has joined as counsel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory practice. Javitt will focus on regulation of laboratory-developed tests and in vitro diagnostic devices, pharmacogenomics and genetic testing. Previously, she was law and policy director for the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington. Javitt earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith (Los Angeles): Lewis Brisbois is opening offices in Houston and Beaumont, TX, through the acquisition of Adams & Heald, an insurance defense law firm with 11 attorneys. Adams & Heald focuses on insurance and corporate defense, including personal injury, products liability, toxic torts, admiralty and medical malpractice.

Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby (Newark, NJ): The firm has added new partners Catherine Flynn and Marisa Kussoy, who are launching its health-care law group. Flynn and Kussoy were both previously partners with Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper in Westfield, NJ.