Caliber Associates Recruits General Counsel for INOVIO Pharmaceuticals
March 18, 2021 – Legal recruiting generally has been booming this year. According to Hunt Scanlon Media, lawyers employed by government agencies in particular have been on the move as a result of changes in government administrations. Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 10 percent through 2022. Demand for legal work is expected to be robust as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government will require legal services in the U.S. and internationally as global economies expand. In addition, the responsibilities of general counsel have expanded in recent years and demand for them has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One recent case in point: San Diego, CA- based Caliber Associates recently placed Michael Cordera as the new executive vice president and general counsel of INOVIO Pharmaceuticals. Steve Hochberg, CEO and founder of Caliber Associates, led the assignment. Mr. Cordera will serve on the company’s executive leadership team and will report to INOVIO’s president and CEO, J. Joseph Kim. In this role, he will be responsible for the company’s legal team and strategy. “Michael is a seasoned legal executive with deep life-sciences experience both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Dr. Kim. “His expertise surrounding commercial operations and global business development come at a key time for our organization. He will be a valuable leader as INOVIO executes on its plans to develop and commercialize DNA medicines to treat infectious diseases, cancer, and HPV-associated diseases.”
Mr. Cordera joins INOVIO from Eagle Pharmaceuticals, where he served as general counsel and chief compliance officer. Before Eagle, he held various legal positions of increasing responsibility at Warner Chilcot and inVentiv (now Syneos) Health where he was responsible for legal affairs in North America, Europe and Asia. Mr. Cordera began his legal career as an associate at Sherman & Sterling LLP.
INOVIO Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases and cancer. INOVIO has 15 DNA medicine clinical programs currently in development focused on HPV-associated diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, including coronaviruses associated with COVID-19 and MERS, for which programs are being developed with funding support from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Life Sciences Recruiters
Caliber Associates, founded in 1988, is focused exclusively on the life sciences sector. The firm’s leaders are highly experienced search professionals and biopharmaceutical executives who bring more than 70 years of industry experience. Caliber Associates has partnered with over 150 leading companies and has completed upwards of 700 searches, placing strategic leaders with broad therapeutic and functional reach. The firm has offices in San Diego, metro New York and Boston/Cambridge, MA.
Caliber Associates Recruits Chief Medical Officer for NextCure
Recently, numerous healthcare organizations have turned to executive search firms to find new chief medical officers. In the era of COVID-19 this is likely to be another burgeoning area for executive search firms.
Caliber Associates placed former NexImmune executive Han Myint as the new chief medical officer for NextCure, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Steve Hochberg, CEO and founder of Caliber Associates, led the assignment. “We are very excited that Han has joined the NextCure team,” said Michael Richman, president and CEO of NextCure. “We believe the depth of his expertise in oncology product development will prove instrumental in the advancement of our product pipeline. Han’s strong industry track record is highlighted by his involvement in the development of multiple U.S. Food and Drug approved products.”
Among the roles that the firm has recently filled include: chief scientific officer for GentiBio, vice president of project management at Locanabio and CEO for Caraway Therapeutics.
Mr. Hochberg focuses on recruiting CEOs, board members, C-level and strategic teams for emerging life science companies and global biopharmaceutical companies. He has assembled a small team of highly experienced, results driven search professionals. Prior to his search career, he held strategic human resources roles with Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, FMC Corp. and Shell Oil Co.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
