May 1, 2012
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Steven J. Tave has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as of counsel. Tave was formerly Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement in the Office of Chief Counsel, Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At Gibson Dunn, Tave will focus his practice on FDA and health care compliance, enforcement, and litigation with regard to pharmaceutical and medical device issues.
“Steve brings to our firm a wealth of recent FDA experience and relationships,” said Steve Payne, who joined Gibson Dunn as a partner in December 2011 and leads the firm’s FDA compliance and enforcement practice. “He has handled matters across the regulated product spectrum, including both drugs and medical devices, and has great experience with good manufacturing practice issues, product promotion, and False Claims Act cases.”
“We have started strong out of the gate in this practice area with Steve Payne, who joined us in December, and Steve Tave will be a key player in continuing that momentum and integrating our new FDA enforcement practice into our strong and established Life Sciences litigation practice,” said Mark A. Perry, Co-Chair of the Life Sciences practice group.
About Steven J. Tave
Tave served as Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement in the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel from 2007 to 2012. During his tenure, he worked closely with the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and other federal and state agencies as the lead FDA attorney responsible for investigating, prosecuting and resolving criminal enforcement actions and related civil False Claims Act qui tam cases involving drugs, medical devices, and biological products. He has experience handling cases involving a wide array of issues, including manufacturing practices, marketing and promotional activities, and reporting obligations.
While at the FDA, Tave was appointed by the DOJ as a Special Assistant United States Attorney and, in that role, he successfully prosecuted cases involving fraudulently marketed dietary supplements; illegally imported, unapproved generic drugs; smuggling; and fraud. He also has represented the FDA in civil litigation, including defensive litigation and affirmative enforcement actions, and developed and provided training on food and drug law. He was recognized for his work numerous times, receiving the FDA Outstanding Service Award in 2010.
Before joining the FDA, Tave practiced with McKee Nelson LLP and Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman LLP (both now part of Bingham McCutchen) in Washington, D.C., representing individuals and organizations in complex and high-profile criminal and civil government investigations, internal investigations, and civil litigation.
Tave graduated in 2000 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Articles Development Editor of the Journal of Law and Politics.