Sr. Director, Litigation

Role Summary

Senior Director, Litigation to lead and manage complex global litigation matters, including product liability defense, government investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and commercial disputes. This role requires a seasoned litigator with a proven ability to assess, prioritize, and respond to legal risk in a strategic and scalable manner in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industries.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute Moderna’s global litigation strategy, overseeing a diverse portfolio of cases, including product liability, commercial disputes, and government investigations.
• Assess and prioritize litigation risk, ensuring that responses are proportionate to the level of risk and impact on the business, and advising leadership on when immediate, high-level engagement is required versus when a measured response is appropriate.
• Act as a lead strategist and decision-maker in high-exposure government investigations, subpoenas, and regulatory enforcement actions, ensuring Moderna’s responses are comprehensive, strategic, and aligned with business priorities.
• Demonstrate extensive hands-on litigation experience, including working directly with outside counsel, overseeing discovery, managing case strategy, and guiding settlement negotiations.
• Prepare and support Moderna employees for depositions, government interviews, and investigations, ensuring they are well-informed, protected, and aligned with legal strategy.
• Develop and implement internal protocols for handling subpoenas, regulatory inquiries, and litigation responses to ensure swift, effective decision-making.
• Proactively assess, prioritize, and mitigate legal risks, collaborating with internal stakeholders in Compliance, Regulatory Affairs, R&D, and Commercial to ensure legal strategies support Moderna’s business objectives.
• Advise senior leadership on high-profile legal matters, litigation trends, and evolving impacting the company’s global operations.
• Become a leader in leveraging generative AI and other advanced technologies in litigation strategy, discovery, and cost management—partnering with external counsel to implement forward-thinking, tech-enabled approaches that drive efficiency, enable favorable outcomes and surface actionable insights.
• Manage external counsel relationships strategically, ensuring alignment with business goals and optimizing litigation outcomes while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law in the U.S.
• 15+ years of litigation experience, with significant in-house experience at a biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences company and a top-tier law firm specializing in life sciences litigation.
• Extensive, hands-on experience managing complex litigation matters, including product liability, commercial disputes, and regulatory enforcement actions.
• Proven success leading responses to government investigations, regulatory inquiries, and enforcement actions from agencies such as the DOJ, FDA, SEC, and foreign regulatory bodies.
• Exceptional ability to assess, prioritize, and respond to legal risks in a strategic and scalable manner, ensuring the right level of response for each situation.
• Experience preparing and guiding employees through depositions, government interviews, and internal or external investigations.
• Track record of leading and managing external counsel, including budget oversight, litigation strategy, and case resolution.
• An innovation mindset and curiosity around how emerging legal technologies—particularly AI—can be used to reduce cost, improve discovery processes, and surface novel insights.
• Ability to lead with confidence, discretion, and pragmatism in a high-visibility role where sound judgment and business acumen are paramount.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to advise and influence executive leadership and cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.