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Alston & Bird adds former senior FDA official as life sciences partner in Washington. Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Alston & Bird has tapped former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy chief counsel Perham Gorji to join its FDA: Compliance & Enforcement Team and Drug & Device practice, as a partner in Washington, D.C., strengthening the firm's ability to handle enforcement matters, internal investigations, and regulatory disputes involving FDA-regulated medical products. Gorji arrives at the firm from DLA Piper. "Perham brings exceptional insight into how FDA and DOJ enforcement decisions are made," said Rob Stone, partner in Atlanta and chair of Alston & Bird's Health Care Group. "His impressive government experience and sharp judgment strengthen our ability to advise clients facing manufacturing compliance issues, product risks, and high-stakes regulatory challenges." Perham joins Alston & Bird after more than 20 years in senior government roles - including nearly a decade as deputy chief counsel for litigation at the FDA - and subsequent work in the private sector. Earlier, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney and as a trial attorney in the Consumer Protection Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice. Perham's practice spans the full range of FDA-regulated products. As part of the firm's life sciences practice, Perham will work with multinational medical products companies responding to regulatory scrutiny throughout the product lifecycle, including product development, inspections, warning letters, complex enforcement actions, and FDA-related litigation. "When providing trusted advice for complex life sciences matters, Perham brings a seasoned perspective and a deep understanding of how FDA actions develop - from inspection through enforcement," said Cathy Burgess, partner and leader of Alston & Bird's FDA: Drug & Device Team in Washington, D.C. "His experience inside both the FDA and DOJ will be invaluable as we support evolving client needs related to manufacturing practice compliance, internal investigations, and enforcement-related litigation." "Alston & Bird has impressive capabilities when it comes to FDA matters and servicing clients, and I look forward to being part of the firm's collaborative approach and highly respected regulatory offering," said Perham. "We will continue to draw on robust resources across practices and offices to help clients facing GxP issues, inspections, and enforcement actions that affect how they manufacture, market, and defend their products." Analysis | Jobs | News

Alston & Bird adds derivatives and commodities partner with focus on emerging financial products. Thursday, March 19, 2026 Alston & Bird has added partner Cheryl Isaac as a partner in its Financial Services Group in Washington, D.C., strengthening the firm's focus on regulatory and transactional issues tied to derivatives products, prediction markets, commodity trading, digital assets, and decentralized finance - areas of increasing importance to clients such as asset managers and investment funds. Isaac joins the firm from the Washington branch of K&L Gates LLP. "Cheryl brings an invaluable understanding of derivatives oversight and how established market structures can accelerate the development of new financial products," said Cliff Stanford, partner in Atlanta and chair of Alston & Bird's Financial Services Group. "She has spent years working alongside financial institutions, investment sponsors, and trading participants as these areas have matured, giving her insight into the practical issues clients are facing today. We anticipate Cheryl's expertise integrating closely with several of the firm's corporate and transactional practice groups." Cheryl advises derivatives exchanges, financial institutions, asset managers, trading firms, and corporate hedgers on derivatives regulation and transactional strategy, with extensive experience negotiating ISDA documentation and counseling clients on derivatives transactions across asset classes, including security-based swaps. She also helps clients comply with the rules of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the National Futures Association, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Increasingly, she applies the established derivatives framework to support clients entering unfamiliar markets, assessing regulatory exposure and commercial risk as they expand their offerings. "Prediction markets and other emerging financial models are drawing greater attention from investors, fund managers, and institutions," said Tim Selby, partner in New York and head of Alston & Bird's investment funds practice. "As funds and sponsors increasingly explore derivatives-based strategies and novel products, Cheryl knows how to help shape new products that balance commercial priorities and regulatory demands." A frequent writer and speaker on financial innovation and developments affecting derivatives markets, Cheryl said she was drawn to the firm's collaborative approach and strong financial services and investment funds practices. "Clients exploring prediction markets and other novel business models and financial products often want to adapt reliable transactional frameworks rather than reinvent them," said Cheryl. "Much of my work involves helping them apply familiar approaches in new, unprecedented contexts. Alston & Bird's ability to bring together regulatory, funds, finance, and digital assets capabilities provides a strong foundation for delivering the coordinated guidance our clients expect." Analysis | Jobs | News

Alston & Bird adds tax partner in New York, strengthens private equity and transactional offerings. Thursday, March 12, 2026 Alston & Bird announced today that Robert Friedman has joined the firm as a partner in its Federal & International Tax Group in New York, adding an accomplished legal adviser to its growing tax and corporate practices for private equity, M&A, and other transactions. Friedman joins Alston & Bird from Proskauer Rose LLP. "Robert brings a seasoned and practical perspective that will deliver immediate value to our deal teams and our growing private equity client base," said partner Scott Harty, chair of the firm's Tax Department. "He will collaborate closely with our corporate and private equity lawyers, as well as other practices across the firm, to help our clients navigate an increasing volume of complex transactions." Robert represents clients in all facets of corporate and partnership tax matters, advising on the tax aspects of private equity transactions, public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, secondary transactions, fund formation, and financial products. "What stands out to me about Alston & Bird is how seamlessly its attorneys and teams work together - across practices and geographies - to solve problems and create opportunities for our clients," said Robert. "I've sat across the table from many of my new colleagues in high-stakes matters over the years, and that has underscored our shared commitment to excellent service, intellectual rigor, and teamwork that adds unique value to every engagement." Analysis | Jobs | News