Government Enforcement Attorneys Win Acquittal for Former GSK Associate General Counsel

Colleen Conry and Brien O’Connor, co-leaders of the Ropes & Gray government enforcement practice, won an acquittal for former GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) associate general counsel Lauren Stevens in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on May 10.  Ms. Stevens had been charged with two counts of obstruction, one count of falsifying documents before a federal agency and four counts of making false statements to a federal agency, all in connection with the government’s inquiry into GSK’s marketing of the drug Wellbutrin.  

This was the first time in U.S. District Court Judge Roger Titus’ seven and a half years on the federal bench that he granted a motion for acquittal without sending the case to a jury. In granting the Rule 29 motion for judgment of acquittal, Judge Titus said, “It would be a miscarriage of justice for this case to go to the jury.” He added that, Ms. Stevens "should never have been prosecuted and she should be permitted to resume her career."

The Government Enforcement practice at Ropes & Gray helps clients avoid, resolve, and mitigate the impact of government enforcement actions. Clients include financial institutions; national and international investment advisors; defense contractors; pharmaceutical manufacturers; hospitals; physician groups; banks; software companies; other businesses; and individuals.