Atlanta-based law concern Arnall Golden Gregory is opening a Miami, FL, office focused on global logistics and supply chain, including the peculiarities of the pharma industry. The office will be headed by Andrew Spector, a litigator of 25 years who specializes in international product distribution activities.
Spector told FiercePharmaManufacturing that pharma cold chain storage and handling represent the kind of logistics specialization requiring "greater coordination and expertise" today than 10 to 20 years ago. An example is the 2010 Texas incident of inadvertent freezing of a vaccine during storage that led to an increase in pertussis, one of the diseases it was meant to protect against.
Another is the Transportation Security Administration's new requirements for cargo screening. "Ten years after 9/11," he said, "new regulations are coming down. Sometimes the legislative process takes that long." If lawmakers take that long to think about it, he continued, we have to keep an eye on where things are going to help pharma clients plan and be proactive, especially in a global setting.
The Arnall Golden Gregory idea in opening the Miami office is a to provide a one-stop shop for both strategic and tactical legal services for global logistics, according to a company announcement. The need has become acute for the range of activities formerly served by distinct boutique law concerns: global logistics and transport law, litigation, contract law, international trade and customs and risk management, Spector added.
The Miami office joins Arnall Golden Gregory offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., each of strategic importance for logistics. Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport, according to the statement, while Washington is the seat of national policy decisions on export controls, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance and international commercial arbitration.
- here's the release