Nick Littlefield

Since 1998, Nick Littlefield has served as Chair of the firm’s Government Strategies Group. In that capacity he uses his extensive public policy background to provide clients with legal, legislative, regulatory and strategic planning advice in the areas of health care, biosciences and technology, education, venture capital and other industries. Drawing on years of experience as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for Senator Kennedy on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Nick represents leading life sciences companies and trade associations, in a wide range of matters. His clients include biomedical research, biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical, and information technology companies. They seek his guidance in connection with federal regulatory matters, including issues before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). He has been engaged by clients on legislative and administrative law initiatives, including the multi-year bipartisan effort to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare, which passed the U.S. Senate in July 2003 with broad support, and ultimately was enacted into law in November 2003; the establishment of the Biologics Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”) and reauthorization of Bioshield in 2006; and the 2007 Congressional effort to establish a legislative pathway for FDA to approve follow on biologics. Nick also advised clients on such concerns as Medicare coverage and reimbursement, orphan drugs, and protection of intellectual property. Other substantive areas in which Nick provides government strategies advice include early education, elementary and secondary and higher education, and government administration. Nick first joined Foley Hoag in 1981 and was a partner from 1982 to 1989, when he left to assume his position in the U.S. Senate with Senator Kennedy. During this period of service with the firm he advised corporate and individual clients concerning a full range of civil and criminal litigation. He also conducted investigations for clients who were victims of or accused of wrongdoing, involving financial transactions, fraud and embezzlement, theft of trade secrets and medical research misconduct. From 1972 to 1976 Nick was Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (serving under United States Attorneys Whitney North Seymour, Jr., Paul J. Curran, and Robert B. Fiske, Jr.). As a federal criminal prosecutor, he conducted preliminary and grand jury investigations, tried jury cases and prepared briefs and argued appeals before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He was initially assigned to prosecute narcotics conspiracy cases, and for his last two years worked with the white-collar and securities and business frauds unit.