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Deadline: Open until filled.
Wilbur Kim, Pfizer Legal Alliance Director

(212) 733-0946

Please note that this opportunity is limited to Harvard Law School 3L students. 

Pfizer is seeking to hire two 3L students to begin a three-year associate program in Fall 2018. Candidates should have an interest in working in-house and an interest in business, life sciences, regulatory or health law.

Details: The Pfizer Legal Alliance (“PLA”) is a collaborative partnership between Pfizer and select outside counsel that aims to transform the way external counsel legal services are delivered and valued. In 2011, Pfizer launched an innovative junior associate program with the PLA to change the development paradigm for law school graduates. Through a series of four rotations, the program is structured to provide associates with direct and immediate exposure to the Pfizer business as well as access to customary junior-level training at PLA firms.

Associates have an unique opportunity to work both in-house and in a law firm setting. Placements for each rotation are based on a variety of factors including associate interest, the needs of the Legal Division and the firm’s practice groups. Each associate is assigned a Pfizer manager and law firm mentors who work together to guide training and development for each associate.

A background in IP is not required. Groups in the Pfizer Legal Division include, but are not limited to: business transactions (mergers & acquisitions, research & development, procurement), business unit support, commercial product support, clinical development, regulatory, environmental, IP transactions, patents and litigation.

It is anticipated that at the conclusion of the last rotation, associates will have the option to join either a law firm or the Pfizer Legal Division (dependent on the needs of the parties and the performance of the associate).

Past Classes: Given the small size of the program, each associate’s development path is unique and rotation placement is tailored and adjusted based on interest and business needs.

In 2011, the first class of three associates (Harvard J.D. 2011; Harvard J.D. 2011/Columbia M.B.A. 2007; Yale joint J.D./M.B.A. 2011) spent their first rotation at Pfizer assigned to their first Legal Division practice group (mergers and acquisitions, emerging markets and regulatory). Their second and fourth rotations were at a PLA firm (Ropes & Gray, Skadden Arps and DLA Piper) in various practice areas. Between the two firm rotations, they returned to Pfizer and completed rotations in research & development licensing, civil litigation and commercial product support groups.

In 2014, the second class of associates (Harvard J.D. 2014; Stanford J.D. 2014) commenced the program by spending their first rotation at Pfizer assigned to the product support and business transactions groups. They then joined DLA Piper and Skadden Arps for their first firm rotations. For their third rotation, one associate was assigned to product support and clinical development, and the other returned to business transactions. Both associates are currently at Ropes & Gray for their last rotation.

Representative PLA Law Firms: Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Kaye Scholer, Quinn Emanuel, Ropes & Gray, Skadden Arps and White & Case

Annual Starting Compensation: Competitive with top law firms

Qualifications: Applicants must have authorization to work in the United States for the duration of the program

Tags

health law policy   pharmaceuticals