GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - USA
Marc Kesselman of Purdue Pharma L.P.
Marc Kessleman joined Purdue Pharma in mid-2018, marking his first entry into the pharmaceuticals sector after having previously served as general counsel to Yum! Brands, Dean Foods, PepsiCo Americas and the US Department of Agriculture. Prior to moving in-house, Kesselman also spent a number of years in the Department of Justice, the White House office of Management and Budget and practiced as an associate at Ropes & Gray.
His arrival at Purdue Pharma sees him leading the charge in the defense of the company against hundreds of claims over its alleged role in the country’s ongoing opioid crisis. The immensity of his task is starkly illustrated in the number of suits brought against the business, including actions brought by 45 US states, more than 1500 city and county governments and a number of class and individual plaintiffs, with Kesselman needing to call upon all of his accumulated experience to navigate Purdue Pharma through its current maelstrom of litigation.