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Annual Summit for Women Leaders in Life Sciences Law 2026

Name: Annual Summit for Women Leaders in Life Sciences Law 2026
Start: 2026-07-29
End: 2026-07-30
Location: Seaport Hotel Boston

by American Conference Institute

The Annual Summit for Women Leaders in Life Sciences Law is a premier event organized by the American Conference Institute (ACI), dedicated to fostering professional growth and networking among women attorneys and executives in the life sciences sector. Scheduled for July 29–30, 2026, at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, MA, this 13th annual gathering continues its tradition of uniting over 300 professionals from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries.

Attendees can expect a comprehensive agenda covering critical topics such as regulatory developments, intellectual property challenges, compliance strategies, and leadership skills tailored to the unique landscape of life sciences law. The summit features over 30 hours of learning, networking, and professional development, with sessions led by more than 100 speakers from leading companies and law firms.

Beyond the educational sessions, the event offers ample networking opportunities, including structured discussions, informal meet-ups, and a cocktail reception. Notable speakers from top-tier organizations provide insights and share experiences, enriching the professional journey of participants. The summit also includes an expo hall showcasing the latest services and products relevant to the industry.

This summit is ideal for women attorneys and executives in the life sciences field seeking to enhance their knowledge, expand their professional network, and gain insights into the latest industry trends and challenges. It provides a supportive environment to connect with peers, share experiences, and develop strategies for career advancement.

Speakers(84)

Adriana Davies

Vice President, Compliance at Smith & Nephew

Aileen M. Fair

Senior Corporate Counsel, Litigation & Government Investigations at Bristol Myers Squibb

Alane Barnes

Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer at BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc

Alexis Gilroy

Practice Leader, Health Care & Life Sciences at Jones Day

Amy Katz

Managing Director, In-House Counsel Recruiting at Major, Lindsey & Africa

Andr0e-Anne Fournier

Managing Principal at Analysis Group

Andrée-Anne Fournier

Managing Principal at Analysis Group

Anne-Gabrielle Haie

AI, Data & Digital Partner at Steptoe LLP

Ariane Horn

Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

Audrey A. Wilson

Deputy General Counsel at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Bethany Hills

Partner at White & Case LLP

Brittney McDonough

Legal & Compliance Executive Recruiter, Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice Leader at BarkerGilmore LLC

Caryn Borg-Breen

Partner at Ballard Spahr LLP

Chandri Navarro

Senior Counsel, International Commercial & Trade Practice at Baker McKenzie

Christiana Stevenson

Assistant General Counsel at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Conna Weiner

Mediator, Arbitrator, Special Master at JAMS

Cristina Alexandrescu

Assistant General Counsel, Innovation, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at GSK

Dana Silber McMahon

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer at Stryker

DeNae Thomas

Of Counsel at Paul Hastings LLP

Deborah A. Logan

Associate General Counsel at EMD Serono, Inc.

Denise Plunkett

Partner at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

Diane Hilligoss

Vice President - Head of Value & Access, Legal and State Public Policy at Eli Lilly and Company

Elisabethann Wright

Senior Counsel at Steptoe LLP

Elizabeth Holland

Partner, Co-Head Global IP Litigation at A&O Shearman

Elizabeth Richards

Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP

Ellen Salamone

Vice President and Head of Life Sciences & Healthcare at Axiom Law

Emer Simic

Partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

Emily Witt

Legal Recruiter and Managing Director at Whistler Partners

Erin McDermott

Principal at Charles River Associates

Eva Temkin

Partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

Eyvonne Mallett

Of Counsel at Loeb & Loeb LLP

Grace Coln

CEO and Co-Founder at Inaya Therapeutics

Board of Directors: Voyager Therapeutics, Bloom Science, Emm, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and MIT.

Grace Colón

CEO and Co-Founder at Inaya Therapeutics

Board of Directors: Voyager Therapeutics, Bloom Science, Emm, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and MIT.

Hannah Anderson

Attorney at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Heather A. Ritch Rocks

Partner at Reed Smith LLP

Hilary Libka

Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Chief IP Counsel at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Ilene Albala

Partner at Goodwin

Jacqueline Berman

Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Janet Kwuon

Vice President, Global Head of Litigation and Investigations at Gilead Sciences

Jean Cunningham

Attorney and Assistant Vice President - Life Sciences Legal Recruitment at Larson Maddox

Jennifer Kan

Senior Counsel at Mars Science & Diagnostics

Jenny Robertson

Chief Business and Legal Officer at Lexeo Therapeutics

Board Member, The MED13L Foundation.

Jessica Parker-Battle

Head of Legal, North America at Biogen

Joanne Charles

Associate General Counsel at Gilead Sciences

Judith O00Grady

Partner at Troutman Pepper Locke

Judith O’Grady

Partner at Troutman Pepper Locke

Juliana Neves

Partner at Licks Attorneys

Kate Helm

Partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Kate Hillier

Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP

Katherine (Katie) Rubino

Partner at Wiggin and Dana

Katherine Matos

Executive Director, Legal & Compliance at Karyopharm Therapeutics

Kathleen Gersh

Partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP

Laetitia Szaller

General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Egetis Therapeutics

Larissa A. Eustice

Senior Assistant General Counsel at Bayer

Lauren Ann Pond

Assistant General Counsel at BridgeBio

Lauren Papenhausen

Partner at White & Case LLP

Lian Yang

Partner, International Trade at Alston & Bird

Lisa Jakob

Executive Director, Intellectual Property at Merck

Lucy Muzzy

Vice President, Lead Counsel, Artificial Intelligence, Digital & Privacy Compliance at Pfizer

Marjan Noor

Partner, IP Litigation and Co-lead of Global Life Sciences and Healthcare at A&O Shearman

Mary Till

Of Counsel at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

Former Senior Legal Advisor, USPTO.

Mary-Alice Barrett

Associate General Counsel at Genentech

Megan Raymond

Partner at Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP

Melanie R. Rupert

Partner at Paul Hastings LLP

Michelle Nyein

Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property at Eisai

Natasha Trifun

Head of Enterprise Compliance & Risk at AstraZeneca

Neha Patel

Senior Counsel, Regulatory and Global Medical Affairs at Moderna

Nicole (Nikki) DeAbrantes

Attorney at Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck

Prajakta Sonalker

Partner at Venable LLP

Rachel Elsby

Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Rachel Yu

Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Rebecca Clegg

Counsel at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

Rebecca Merrill

Partner at Holland & Knight LLP

Robin A. Walker

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary; Board of Directors at Areteia Therapeutics

Rupa Cornell

Vice President & General Counsel for Vaccines Business Unit at Takeda

Sandra Frantzen

Shareholder at McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.

Sarah Cummings Stewart