Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

Bethany Hills has taken her practice to Morrison & Foerster from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, where she was chair of the firm's Food and Drug Administration practice.

Hills is joining Morrison & Foerster's life sciences practice as a partner in the New York office. She has extensive experience in FDA regulatory and compliance issues, according to her new firm, which touted her expertise across the life cycle of FDA-regulated products, from food and pharmaceuticals to dietary supplements, medical devices and health care technology.

Michael Ward, the global chair of Morrison & Foerster's life sciences practice group, said Hills's breadth of expertise on FDA-related matters made her a perfect candidate for the team, which earlier this year added a 30-lawyer office in Boston. The head count in that office is now up to 35, according to a firm spokesperson.

“Bethany joining us really strengthens our life sciences practice, which is really a focus area for the firm,” Ward said. “We think it's a key addition to our team, and we're just thrilled to have her here.”

Bethany Hills of Morrison & Foerster

Hills, who joined Boston-based Mintz from Epstein Becker & Green in 2016, said she was attracted to Morrison & Foerster by the strength of its life sciences group and for its global platform. She said many of the companies she's worked with have started in the U.S. and are looking to expand globally, or they are based overseas and looking for guidance to break into U.S. markets.

Hills declined to comment specifically on her clients and whether or not they will be moving with her to Morrison & Foerster, but she said her new role will provide her with new opportunities to grow her practice, especially into the technology space.

“There is definitely a growing need in the digital health and health technology space,” she said. “That requires a strong privacy and security standing, and also an understanding of complex commercial relationships, in addition to the regulatory aspects.”

Ward agreed, and he said the convergence of traditional life sciences and traditional technology made the practice area an important area of development for the firm and something clients are hungry for.

“We see life science as, really, the next wave,” he said, noting how technology is transforming the landscape. He cited health care companies using AI for drug screenings and the influence of genomics in agriculture as examples of innovation in the space.

Hills said she's noticed another, overarching trend that seems to affect many different product areas: the FDA speeding up product approvals and exploring accelerated pathways to getting products to market.

“There is ultimately a pendulum swing,” she said. “When you loosen the justification for issuing market authorization, there's always the potential for post-market issues. There's a balance between pre-market and post-market control that's shifting a little bit.”

With the growth in Boston and the addition of Hills, Ward said he expected the firm's life sciences practice to continue to grow its size and competitive edge.

“We as a firm are committed to growing where our clients are growing, and growing where the industry is growing,” he said.