Jeff Kindler

Last updated
Jeffrey B. Kindler
Born (1955-05-13) May 13, 1955 (age 69)
NationalityAmerican
Education Tufts University (BA) Harvard University (JD)
Occupation(s)Healthcare executive, Private investor
OrganizationCentrexion Inc.
Known forPreviously Pfizer CEO

Jeffrey B. Kindler (born May 13, 1955) is an American healthcare executive and private investor. He served as chairman and CEO of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer from 2006 to 2010. Kindler has later served as CEO of Centrexion Inc., and chairman of the GLG Institute.

Contents

Career

Early career

Kindler earned his BA in 1977 from Tufts University summa cum laude and his JD in 1980 from Harvard Law School magna cum laude, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. [1] [2] [3]

Kindler served as an attorney at the Federal Communications Commission. He was a law clerk to Judge David L. Bazelon of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and later as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. [4] Following his clerkship with Justice Brennan, Kindler practiced civil and criminal litigation at the Washington, D.C., firm of Williams & Connolly, where he became a partner. [3]

1990–2000

In 1990, Kindler joined the legal team at General Electric. [5] Kindler later became vice president of Litigation and Legal Policy. [6] [7] In 1994, Kindler worked with future Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division William Baer and renowned trial lawyer Dan Webb on the winning litigation team tasked with defending GE against diamond price-fixing claims. Although GE was acquitted at trial, De Beers was also charged and subsequently pleaded guilty to keeping prices in the worldwide industrial diamond market artificially high. [8]

In 1996, Kindler joined McDonald's Corporation as executive vice president and general counsel for legal and corporate affairs. [9] After leading the acquisition of Boston Market, Kindler became president of Boston Market Corp. and then of Partner Brands, which consisted of all of McDonald's non-hamburger concepts, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Donatos Pizza, and Pret a Manger. [3]

2001–2010

In 2002, Kindler became the general counsel at Pfizer Inc., the largest research-based biopharmaceutical company in the world. [4] In February 2005, Kindler was named vice chairman. [4] Under Kindler's leadership as vice chairman and general counsel, Pfizer provided legal support for families of 9/11 victims, among other pro bono efforts. The Legal Aid Society recognized Pfizer for "creating the prototype for corporate pro bono," for which Kindler accepted the Pro Bono Publico and Public Service Corporate awards. He received the first GC Leadership Award in recognition of his work aiding low-income New Yorkers and the 2005 Exemplar Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) for his service to the community.

On July 28, 2006, Pfizer's board of directors selected Kindler to succeed Henry A. McKinnell Jr. as chief executive officer. Later in 2006, Kindler was elected by Pfizer's board of directors to serve the additional role of chairman. [10]

In 2009, Kindler oversaw Pfizer's $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth. [11] The acquisition gave Pfizer access to Wyeth's entire product line, eight late-stage clinical trials, and four compounds awaiting FDA approval. [12] [13] [14]

Kindler established Pfizer's program to distribute more than 70 of its medications for free to people who meet certain criteria, including job loss and the absence of prescription drug insurance. [15] Kindler also collaborated with former president Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiatives on a range of programs to reduce the costs of essential medicines for AIDS patients in developing markets. [16]

In March 2010, Kindler was named chairman of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. [17]

Kindler retired from Pfizer in 2010. [18] [19]

2011–present

Kindler became CEO of Centrexion Corp., a biotechnology company based in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2013. [20] [21]

Kindler is a director of Starboard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, [22] Operating Partner at Artis Ventures, [23] Global Chair of the GLG Institute. [23] Kindler also serves on the boards of a number of public and privately held companies, including Precigen Inc., PPD, Siga Technologies, vTv Therapeutics [22] and Perrigo Company. He was formerly member of President Obama's Management Advisory Board. [24]

Philanthropy

In 2011, Kindler was elected to the board of directors for The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia). He also has served on the boards of the Manhattan Theater Club and Tufts University. He has served on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Catalyst, United Way of New York City, the Legal Aid Society of New York, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King & Spalding</span> American law firm

King & Spalding LLP is an American multinational corporate law firm that is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices located in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It has over 1,300 lawyers in 23 offices globally. It is Am Law 100, Global 30, and white-shoe firm.

<i>Harvard Law Review</i> Academic journal

The Harvard Law Review is a law review published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the Harvard Law Review's 2015 impact factor of 4.979 placed the journal first out of 143 journals in the category "Law". It also ranks first in other ranking systems of law reviews. It is published monthly from November through June, with the November issue dedicated to covering the previous year's term of the Supreme Court of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jones Day</span> US international law firm

Jones Day is an American multinational law firm based in Washington, D.C. As of 2023, it is one of the largest law firms in the United States, with 2,302 attorneys, and among the highest-grossing in the world with revenues of $2.5 billion. It was originally headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm has represented over half of the companies in the Fortune 500, including Goldman Sachs, General Motors, McDonald's, and Bridgestone. Jones Day has also represented the campaign of former president Donald Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe</span> Law firm

Orrick is an international law firm founded in San Francisco, California. The firm advises on transactions, litigation and regulatory matters for venture-backed companies, public companies, E&I funds, financial institutions and governments.

Proskauer Rose LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York City. Proskauer was founded in 1875 and currently employs more than 800 attorneys in eleven offices worldwide.

Michael Ira Sovern was an American legal scholar who served as the 17th president of Columbia University. Prior to his death, he served as the Chancellor Kent Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. He was a noted legal scholar of Labor Law and an expert in employment discrimination.

Russell McVeagh is a New Zealand law firm with offices in Auckland and Wellington. It is one of New Zealand's largest law firms and is ranked highly by law firm ranking guides such as The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, also known as Hale & Dorr and WilmerHale, is an American multinational law firm with offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Co-headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Boston, it was formed in 2004 through the merger of the Boston-based firm Hale and Dorr and the D.C.-based, firm Wilmer Cutler & Pickering. It employs more than 1,000 attorneys worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noam Gottesman</span> American businessman

Noam Gottesman is a New York City-based, British-American businessman, former hedge fund manager, and co-founder of GLG Partners. He later entered the restaurant industry, investing in establishments including Eleven Madison Park in New York City. He is also the CEO of TOMS Capital. Gottesman has dual citizenship in the US and UK, and was listed on the 2020 Forbes 400 list of richest people in the United States, with a net worth of $2.4 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiley Rein</span> American law firm

Wiley Rein LLP, sometimes shortened to Wiley, is an American law firm based in Washington, D.C. With 240 lawyers, the firm represents clients in complex regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Many of the firm's lawyers and public policy advisors have held high-level positions in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The firm operates in industries including energy, manufacturing, defense, aerospace, intelligence, information technology, professional services, telecommunications, health care, architectural and engineering (A&E), and construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dechert</span> American law firm

Dechert LLP is a multinational American law firm of more than 900 lawyers with practices in corporate and securities, complex litigation, finance and real estate, financial services, asset management, and private equity. In 2021, the firm raised revenues by 25%, with a total of $1.3 billion. On Law.com's 2022 Global 200 survey, Dechert ranked as the 41st highest grossing law firm in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston & Strawn</span> American law firm

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm headquartered in Chicago. It has more than 900 attorneys spread across ten offices in the United States and six offices in Europe, Asia and South America. Founded in 1853, it is one of the largest and oldest law firms in Chicago.

Williams & Connolly LLP is an American law firm based in Washington, D.C. The firm was co-founded by Edward Bennett Williams and Paul Connolly in 1967. Williams left the partnership of D.C. firm Hogan & Hartson to launch his own litigation firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munger, Tolles & Olson</span> California law firm

Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP (MTO) is an American law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.. The firm represents clients in industries such as entertainment, technology, energy and healthcare.

Edwards Wildman was an AmLaw 100 law firm. It was formed from the 2011 merger of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon. Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge had been formed by the 2005 merger of Edwards & Angell LLP and Palmer & Dodge LLP. In 2008, Boston-based Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge also merged with London-based Kendall Freeman, a 40-attorney firm with specialties in dispute resolution, litigation, and both contentious and regulatory insurance and reinsurance.

Crowell & Moring is an international law firm headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Chicago, Denver, London, Brussels, Doha, and Shanghai. With approximately 600 lawyers, the firm advises multinational corporations on regulatory, litigation, corporate, and investigations matters. As of 2022, Crowell & Moring is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States in The American Lawyer's "AmLaw 100" list, based on gross revenue.

Steptoe LLP is an international law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. It maintains offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, London, Brussels, Beijing, and Hong Kong.

Blank Rome is a law firm with 16 offices and 750 attorneys and principals who provide legal and advocacy services to clients in the United States and around the world.

Thompson Coburn LLP is a U.S. law firm with offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Southern Illinois, St. Louis, Birmingham, Ala., and Washington, D.C. The firm has been especially active in the field of product liability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan K. Webb</span> American lawyer (born 1945)

Daniel K. Webb is an American lawyer and public official. He is the co-executive chairman of the international law firm of Winston & Strawn. He is a former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and previously served as the Special Counsel in the Iran-Contra affair. As the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, he was the top federal law enforcement official in the city of Chicago on behalf of the United States Department of Justice. As U.S. Attorney, Webb led Operation Greylord and successfully prosecuted 76 corrupt judges, police officers, court clerks, and lawyers.

References

  1. Andrew Jack (January 4, 2009). "Pfizer chief's cure". Financial Times. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  2. Ben Gittleson (February 28, 2008). "Light on the Hill Award offered to Pfizer CEO". The Tufts Daily. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Prashant Dubey, Eva Kripalani (September 19, 2013). The Generalist Counsel: How Leading General Counsel are Shaping Tomorrow's Companies. OUP USA.
  4. 1 2 3 Elkind, Peter; Reingold, Jennifer (28 July 2011). "Inside Pfizer's palace coup". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  5. "GE's Key Lawyer Rewired the Game", WSJ, Oct. 31, 2005. Retrieved on 16 September 2014.
  6. "In the Beginning - Harvard Law School", Harvard.edu, April 2006. Retrieved on 16 September 2014.
  7. "Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore Boehm to Step Down from Bench" Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine , May 25, 2010. Retrieved on 16 September 2014.
  8. "De Beers pleads guilty in price fixing case - NBC News", July 13, 2004. Retrieved on 16 September 2014.
  9. "Boston Market: There's Life in the Old Bird Yet", May 13, 2001.
  10. "The Lawyer Is In at Pfizer", Bloomberg Businessweek , 03 August 2006. Retrieved on 30 October 2014.
  11. "Kindler, Former Pfizer Chief, Joins Lux Capital", New York Times , 8 August 2012. Retrieved on 30 October 2014.
  12. "Pfizer's home remedy", Fortune, 18 August 2009. Retrieved on 30 October 2014.
  13. "Reported talks to buy Wyeth could transform Pfizer", ABC News, Retrieved on 30 October 2014.
  14. "Pfizer CEO: Wyeth Takeover Will Be Different", Bloomberg Businessweek, 26 January 2009. Retrieved on 30 October 2014.
  15. "Pfizer offers free drugs, Lipitor, Viagra, to unemployed", USA Today, May 15, 2009.
  16. "Mylan, Pfizer cut HIV treatment price through Clinton initiative". PharmaTimes. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  17. Wilson, Duff (2010-12-05). "Pfizer's Chairman and Chief Retires Unexpectedly". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  18. "Our Impact Annual Review 2010" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine , Pfizer.
  19. Elkind, Peter; Reingold, Jennifer (August 15, 2011). "Inside Pfizer's Palace Coup". Fortune . 164 (3): 76–91. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  20. Steele, Anne (2016-03-30). "Drugmaker Led by Ex-CEOs of Pfizer, Celgene Buys Three Painkillers". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  21. "Centrexion farms out pain drug to Lilly for $47.5M and could reap much more". FierceBiotech. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  22. 1 2 Finnegan, Daniel (2 December 2019). "Executive chairman of vTv Therapeutics resigns". Triad Business Journal.
  23. 1 2 Temkin, Marina (2020-04-17). "ARTIS Ventures taps former Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler as operating partner". Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  24. Nordyke, Kimberly (10 March 2011). "BET Chief Debra Lee Named to President Obama's Advisory Board". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  25. "Jeff Kindler | Lux Capital - Team" Archived 2014-11-23 at the Wayback Machine , Lux Capital, Retrieved on November 25, 2014.