John Moriarty.

Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. has named a seasoned in-house attorney as its first general counsel.

John Moriarty, most recently executive vice president and general counsel at Alexion Pharmaceuticals based in New Haven, Connecticut, will serve as EVP, GC and chief legal officer, leading the legal, regulatory, governance and compliance functions for the south San Francisco-based biotechnology company.

Moriarty will also be a member of the executive committee of Portola, which focuses on the development of medication to treat thrombosis and other hematologic disorders.

He was unavailable to discuss the move, a spokeswoman for the company said.

“John's appointment comes at a critical time for Portola, as we execute on the successful launch of our first medicine Bevyxxa (betrixaban), and continue to advance our two other lead development programs, andexanet alfa and cerdulatinib, through key clinical and regulatory milestones,” Portola CEO William Lis said in a press release announcing the hire March 12. “His extensive legal and business expertise, as well as his leadership track record, will be invaluable in addressing the complex issues that accompany our transition into a global commercial organization.”

Moriarty had worked at Alexion since December 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to his role there, he held high-ranking in-house positions at Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (now Elan Corp.) and Amgen Inc. Prior to going in-house, he was a health care and litigation senior associate at Epstein Becker & Green and a federal health care fraud prosecutor.

“Portola has made substantial and rapid progress in its commercial evolution, and I am excited to join the team at such a pivotal time,” Moriarty said in the statement. “Portola has a well-recognized, science-based culture, and I look forward to working alongside such a talented and passionate team to deliver new medicines that have the potential to transform patient care in the fields of thrombosis and hematology.”

Moriarty holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Georgia School of Law. He also has been a member of the American Kidney Fund's board of trustees for the past three years.