Louis B. Bernstein
Secretary

Louis B. Bernstein offers counseling in risk assessment and litigation management and defense for the health care industry, including pharmaceutical and medical device companies, clinical research organizations and investors and prospective investors in such entities.  He also serves as a mediator.

He practiced as an attorney in the Legal Division of Pfizer Inc. for more than thirty years, and retired from the company in August 2006 as an Assistant General Counsel.  He has managed products liability claims and litigation involving prescription pharmaceuticals, orthopedic implants and other medical devices, and participated as client and advocate in scores of mediation and other early dispute resolution proceedings.  Mr. Bernstein also engaged in “preventive law” activities connected with these products.  His related experience includes advertising and labeling review, legislative analysis, and consultation concerning new products and investments, food and drug regulatory matters and commercial transactions.

Mr. Bernstein then served as Director, President and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Xethanol Corporation, a publicly traded (AMEX) ethanol, biofuels and alternative energy company.

He was a charter member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Law Section Product Liability Task Force (Chair, 1990-1993; 2003-2006).  He serves on the Defense Research Institute Drug and Medical Device Litigation Steering Committee (Former Manager, Liaison Relationships; Former Chair, Corporate Counsel Subcommittee), and is a member of the New York City Bar Association (Member, Committee on the Judiciary, 2004-2007) and the New York State Bar Association (Co-Chair, Membership Committee, Dispute Resolution Section).  He has been a speaker at conferences sponsored by the ABA Torts and Insurance Practice Section, the Defense Research Institute, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the Japan - U.S. Institute, the National Health Lawyers Association and the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, among others.

Mr. Bernstein received his B.A. cum laude from Amherst College and his J.D. from the University of Virginia.  He also has received extensive training in mediation.  He is a member of the bars of the State of New York and of the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Texas and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.