- Xin joins Firm's growing food and drug regulatory team; brings scientific background, deep experience in food technology and East Asia.
Global law firm Baker McKenzie announced today that leading US Food and Drug Administration regulatory lawyer Xin Tao has joined the Firm as a partner in Washington, DC. For more than a decade, Xin has advised companies on how to navigate evolving regulatory environments with innovative legal strategies that support their commercialization of consumer products made with emerging technologies.
Xin's practice focuses on novel food and drug applications that require FDA review and FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) compliance. Xin has extensive experience advising food technology companies and investors on developing and marketing innovative products including cell-cultured meat, protein derived from microbial fermentation and bioengineering. A former research biochemist, Xin brings a deep understanding of the complex scientific issues that relate to the FDA's legal and regulatory requirements, enabling him to help clients with all phases of product development, manufacturing, and marketing. Leveraging his scientific background, he has also worked extensively on FDA enforcement actions and consumer class action litigations involving environmental contaminants in foods such as heavy metals, PFAS, and California’s Proposition 65- listed chemicals.
Born and raised in China, Xin is also well-equipped to assist global companies in adapting to the evolving regulatory regime of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), formerly known as China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). In addition to US-based clients, Xin has also worked extensively with Chinese and Japanese food and pharmaceutical companies.
"Xin is a trusted adviser for companies looking for nuanced guidance in bringing their products to market, especially in the rapidly evolving food and drug regulatory environment in the US and globally," said Peter Tomczak, Chair of Baker McKenzie's North America Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice. "Xin also brings rare scientific knowledge and experience, with his background in biochemistry. Combined with his deep understanding of food and drug regulatory regimes in both the US and China, Xin's advice will add enormous value to our multinational clients in this area."
"We are thrilled to add Xin to our FDA team as we expand our life sciences and healthcare offerings, a strategic area of focus for our Firm," said Joyce Smith, a member of Baker McKenzie's Global Executive Committee. "Clients need practical solutions and guidance as they look to bring their products to market and unlock value, and Xin will be a trusted adviser in that critical business stage."
Added Maurice Bellan, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie's Washington, DC office, "Xin's breadth of experience navigating the complexities of US FDA regulations, in addition to the ever-evolving regulatory regime in China, will be crucial for our clients looking to take their innovative products to the next stage. Xin's specific focus on advising novel food technology companies perfectly complements our existing regulatory capabilities."
Baker McKenzie's global healthcare regulatory team of 130 lawyers advises the world’s leading life sciences companies on their regulatory strategies, assisting companies as they navigate complex government regulations throughout the product life cycle, providing sophisticated advice on regulatory issues for drugs, biological products, medical devices, human cell and tissue products, veterinary products, foods and dietary supplements. From start-ups to multinational corporations, clients call on the Firm to shepherd their products through to market, assist in maintaining compliance with evolving local regulatory requirements, and manage regulatory enforcement actions.
"I am looking forward to joining Baker McKenzie and working with its talented team to help our clients navigate regulatory complexity both in the US and around the world," said Xin. "Baker McKenzie's global platform and practice depth will be a tremendous benefit to our clients."
Xin earned his BS in Biotechnology from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, his MS in Biochemistry from Texas A&M, and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.