Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Expands FDA Practice with Former Associate Chief Counsel and Director of the Agency’s Office of Criminal Investigations

MIAMI - May 4, 2021 – Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney continues its strategic growth with the addition of George Karavetsos, shareholder, who joins the firm’s FDA and White Collar, Compliance & Investigation practices. Karavetsos, who will be based in the firm’s Miami office, brings a unique combination of expertise and experience in the FDA, private practice and U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Specifically, Karavetsos served as assistant chief counsel in the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel where he worked with senior officials in the Centers for Drug Research and Evaluation, Biologics Research and Evaluation, Device and Radiological Health. More recently he was as director of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations. As director, he led more than 300 federal law enforcement agents and administrative personnel in the investigation of criminal violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and other relevant federal statutes. In addition, Karavetsos spent more than 12 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida, rising to executive assistant U.S. attorney, the third-highest position in the office. In that capacity, he conducted federal grand jury investigations and prosecuted cases involving violations of federal narcotics, money laundering, immigration, firearms, healthcare fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud statutes, and the FDCA.

“Knowing how to navigate the complex and intricate processes of the FDA and other related federal agencies has become even more important in recent years. Our clients across the country will benefit immensely from George’s insider perspective, especially related to the Office of Chief Counsel and the coordination among the Agency’s six centers,” said Edward Allera, co-chair of Buchanan’s FDA group as well as the firm’s Life Sciences industry team.

“With George, we are able to extend our robust FDA section’s geographical reach to Florida – often the bellwether state for laws impacting pharmaceutical products. We are thrilled to have him join our growing Miami office and further expand on the compliance services we are already providing to clients,” said Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez, head of the Miami office.

“Buchanan’s national platform cuts across every industry and offers clients a level of excellence that ensures positive results in an effective and efficient way – characteristics that are very important to me. I’m also looking forward to working alongside Ed Allera, a fellow FDA alumnus and a well-known expert in regulatory law,” said Karavetsos.

Karavetsos received his J.D. from the Suffolk University Law School and his B.A. from the Virginia Military Institute, graduating with distinction.