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Robert B. Nicholas is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Washington, D.C. office. As a member of the Firm’s Health Department and head of the Firm’s FDA practice, he represents manufacturers and not-for-profit institutions on biomedical research and drug, device and food-related regulatory and legislative matters. His practice encompasses strategic and regulatory planning for product approval, compliance counseling, enforcement defense, and government relations, including legislative lobbying. A substantial part of his practice involves developing scientific consensus to support regulatory and legislative actions.
Robert also serves as head of the Firm’s Biotechnology Practice Group, which regularly assists with obtaining federal and state government approvals to test and market new products in the agricultural, environmental and biomedical fields; participates in agency rule-making and enforcement proceedings; lobbies on behalf of the biotechnology and affiliated industries; obtains financing and negotiates technology licensing and other business deals for biotechnology companies.
Prior to joining McDermott, Robert served as chief counsel for Vice President Albert Gore when he was chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Science and Technology, and as counsel to the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. Prior to coming to Washington, Robert was a trial lawyer and served as a deputy attorney general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Robert is a frequent public speaker and author on various biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry issues. He has served as vice chairman of the Special Committee on Biotechnology of the ABA and as an editor of the Biotechnology Law Journal. Robert has served as a consultant to, among others, the Keystone Center, the National Academy of Sciences, the Brookings Institution and the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. He has recently been appointed to the Food and Drug Law Institute's "Update" Editorial Advisor Board for a 4 year term. The FDLI is the major association of food and drug lawyers.
Robert has been admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, the states of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Education
Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1969
St. Lawrence University, B.A., 1966 | 