Skadden's offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

A 17-year Food and Drug Administration veteran has moved from Sidley Austin to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as a partner in Washington, D.C.

William McConagha joined Skadden's health care litigation and enforcement practice, the firm said Tuesday. He had been a partner at Sidley Austin since 2012 in that firm's food and drug practice.

Before private practice, McConagha spent nearly two decades in various positions at the FDA, including assistant commissioner; senior attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel; and health policy adviser to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He helped draft and negotiate the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 and the FDA Safety and Innovation Act of 2012.

He now advises pharmaceutical, medical device, biotech, food and tobacco companies on government and internal investigations, FDA regulatory requirements and enforcement issues, litigation and corporate transactions, Skadden said.

Jennifer Bragg, a partner in Skadden's Washington, D.C., office, said McConagha's extensive experience at the FDA will advance the firm's practice.

"With FDA enforcement increasing its focus on product quality, data integrity and quality of the supply chain, Bill's extensive experience guiding companies through complex FDA compliance issues, coupled with his years of government service, positions him well to advise clients on enterprise-critical litigation as well as their strategically important FDA work," she said.

McConagha's addition comes after Skadden added another notable hire to its health care and life sciences regulatory and enforcement team in the last year: fellow FDA lawyer and regulator Karen Corallo joined the group in March 2019 from Greenburg Traurig.

Representatives for Sidley did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the move. Sidley, a 2019 finalist for American Lawyer's Litigation Department of the Year, has touted its litigation department—including its FDA experts—as "built to win."

McConagha was not immediately available to comment on the move. In a statement, he praised Skadden's health care capabilities in the litigation, regulatory, enforcement and transaction areas.