Chicago, Philadelphia, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blank Rome LLP is pleased to welcome Rachael G. Pontikes, Emily L. Hussey, and Shannon E. McClure as partners in the firm’s Life Sciences industry team and Business Litigation group. Rachael and Emily join the firm’s Chicago office and Shannon joins the Philadelphia office. Prior to joining Blank Rome, the attorneys practiced at Reed Smith LLP.
Rachael and Emily are nationally recognized and sought after for their extensive experience in representing clients in the life sciences and healthcare industries. They counsel clients on a broad spectrum of critical issues in this space, including regulatory compliance, administrative actions, due diligence in healthcare transactions, licensing matters, and industry advocacy. Rachael and Emily represent a diverse array of clients up and down the drug supply chain, including various types of pharmacies such as compounding, commercial/retail, nuclear, hospital, and institutional; manufacturers of drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and ingredients; drug distributors; telehealth platforms; online pharmacy and prescription management services; as well as physician and veterinary practices, hospital systems, and outsourcing facilities.
They also represent coalitions of compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities to challenge the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), state regulators, and other regulatory bodies on critical issues, often engaging with regulators, legislators, and stakeholders to advance the interests of their clients. In addition, Rachael and Emily represent healthcare facilities in high-stakes FDA, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and state agency investigations and related litigation. They also regularly advise clients on due diligence, change of ownership, regulatory approvals, and related issues with major life sciences and healthcare transactions.
Shannon is a first-chair trial attorney handling disputes before federal and state trial and appellate courts, and in arbitrations and mediations for national and multinational companies. Notably, she served as trial counsel to a global healthcare company in high-profile nationwide federal and state opioid litigation. She also coordinates company resolution strategy, serving as strategic national counsel for large matters. Shannon defends clients in multidistrict litigation, putative class actions, and other complex matters. In the life sciences and healthcare industries, she represents pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, distributors, and health systems, and partners with clients to operationalize injunctive relief components of settlement agreements. In addition, Shannon also represents companies operating in the energy, financial services, real estate, transportation and logistics, and telecommunications industries.
Rachael, Emily, and Shannon are each highly ranked by Chambers USA. Rachael and Emily are ranked in the Illinois Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulatory category and Shannon is ranked in the Pennsylvania: Philadelphia & Surrounds, Litigation: General Commercial category.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rachael, Emily, and Shannon to Blank Rome,” said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Rome’s Chair and Managing Partner. “They are exceptional attorneys whose multi-faceted practices align with the needs of our clients and will enable us to provide outstanding client service to those operating in the healthcare and life sciences industries and beyond.”
“We are thrilled to join Blank Rome,” said Rachael. “We are committed to providing strategic counsel to clients in the life sciences and healthcare sectors, assisting them in navigating the unique challenges of the market. Blank Rome’s highly regarded reputation in such areas as corporate law, intellectual property, labor and employment, and white-collar defense and investigations, along with the opportunity to further develop the firm’s service offerings in life sciences and healthcare, made this move an ideal choice for us and our clients. Emily and I are pleased to continue our collaboration with Shannon at Blank Rome. We look forward to integrating our complementary practices into the firm and continuing to provide exemplary service to our clients.”
Emily continued, “In addition to the opportunities that moving to Blank Rome creates for our clients, we were particularly drawn to the firm’s inclusive culture, which is incredibly important to our team. This move represents a significant opportunity to further develop our practice within a firm that truly values excellence, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and pro bono. We look forward to tapping into Blank Rome’s collaborative and high-performance culture to provide exceptional service to our clients.”
Shannon added, “Joining Blank Rome was an easy decision due to the firm’s significant presence in Philadelphia and key markets across the country and its reputation as a litigation powerhouse. Leveraging the firm’s extensive capabilities will allow me to better serve clients across a variety of practice areas and industries. I am energized by the firm’s commitment to growth and look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues, as well as continuing to work with Rachael and Emily in our synergistic practices.”
“We are excited to begin working with our new colleagues in Chicago and Philadelphia,” said William J. Dorsey, partner and co-chair of the Business Litigation group. “Rachael, Emily, and Shannon have built a reputation as go-to lawyers who partner with their clients to understand their goals and develop tailored strategies to deliver successful outcomes. Their experience in the in the healthcare and life sciences industries is unparalleled, and their innovative and creative problem-solving skills will benefit our clients immensely.”
Additional Information About the Partners
Rachael earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her B.A. in Philosophy and Italian studies, with honors, from Wesleyan University. Rachel is a board member of Culture Reframed.
Emily earned her J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago, where she served as lead articles editor of the Loyola Law Journal. She also holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and is a Fellow of the Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies.
Shannon earned her J.D. from William & Mary School of Law, where she was the executive editor of the William and Mary Law Review, and her B.A. also from the College of William & Mary. Shannon is co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Health Care Law Committee; Chair of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s Merit Selection Panel, responsible for recommending candidates to be considered to serve as United States Magistrate Judges; and an active member of the Forum of Executive Women, Philadelphia.
About Blank Rome
Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 16 offices and more than 750 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Rome’s culture has been dedicated to providing exceptional service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.
- Rachael G. Pontikes, Emily L. Hussey, and Shannon E. McClure
