Cooley Strengthens Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory Group With Latest FDA Hire

Washington, DC – May 28, 2025 – Laura Akowuah joins Cooley’s life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice and global litigation department from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As special counsel at Cooley, Akowuah will advise clients navigating complex regulation and enforcement across the spectrum of FDA-regulated products, as well as emerging FDA developments and litigation.

“Laura is a rare talent who combines broad experience across the gamut of FDA compliance and enforcement matters with the ability to find practical, business-oriented solutions to the most complex problems,” said Sonia Nath, chair of Cooley’s life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice and a fellow FDA alumna. “Laura’s unique skill set and versatility helps us meet surging client demands amid a shifting FDA regulatory environment.”

Akowuah’s tenure at FDA spanned more than a decade, with stints in both the Office of the Chief Counsel and leadership roles within the agency. As an associate chief counsel, she managed countless high-profile civil enforcement actions and criminal prosecutions involving violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and an array of regulated products, including drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods and dietary supplements. Most recently, Akowuah led offices in FDA’s Human Foods Program responsible for developing and implementing compliance and enforcement strategies for conventional food, critical food, dietary supplements, infant formula, produce, imports, and urgent and complex compliance activities associated with recalls, outbreaks and other emerging public health issues.

With decades of experience representing businesses on the front lines of innovation, 40+ years of combined experience in FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel and decades of experience representing clients before other US Department of Health and Human Services agencies, Cooley’s life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice convenes the industry’s leading corporate, regulatory and litigation lawyers to advise on complex deals, regulatory issues and investigations across the US and globally. With its multidisciplinary, full-service platform, the practice is a core component of Cooley’s expansive CooleyREG offering, which provides comprehensive, timely guidance for clients navigating the increasingly complex regulatory landscape. The team also partners closely with the firm’s recently launched wellness practice, which brings a robust understanding of the challenges facing the rapidly growing health and wellness industry.

“Cooley’s brand in the life sciences and healthcare sectors is second to none,” said Akowuah. “The firm’s continued investment in its FDA regulatory practice, coupled with Cooley’s unmatched reputation, makes it the ideal platform for my transition to private practice.”

Akowuah follows multiple former FDA attorneys, including Nath and Son Nguyen – as well as industry-leading healthcare regulatory advisors, such as Eric Greig and Alexis Bortniker – who have joined Cooley’s life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice in recent years. She is also the latest next-generation lawyer to join the firm’s elite litigation practice, as Cooley continues its multiyear global expansion of its litigation department. Akowuah is admitted to the Virginia bar. She is not admitted to practice in Washington DC and is supervised by active members of the Washington, DC Bar. 

About Cooley LLP

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