Cooley has added healthcare regulatory attorney Stephanie Hales as a partner in its Washington, DC, office, strengthening the firm’s global life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice amid growing client demand tied to coverage, reimbursement, market access, and drug pricing issues.
Hales joins from Sidley Austin, where she was a partner in the healthcare and government strategies groups. Over an 18-year career, she has advised pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, digital health, diagnostics, and other life sciences organizations on healthcare legislative, compliance, and regulatory developments, with particular depth in coverage, coding, reimbursement, and drug pricing matters.
Cooley said Hales’ experience spans issues arising under the Affordable Care Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the 340B Drug Pricing Program—areas the firm said are increasingly shaping corporate strategy and decision-making for life sciences companies, including in connection with transactions, enforcement risk, and disputes.
The firm said Hales will work closely with Cooley’s broader healthcare regulatory and litigation teams, including on Administrative Procedure Act and appellate matters, to provide integrated counsel for clients navigating pricing and reimbursement-related policy and regulatory challenges.
Hales’ arrival follows other recent additions and returns in the practice area, including partner Eric Greig, who joined Cooley in April 2025 from Latham, and the return of Jennifer Shanley from McGuire Woods. Cooley said the combined experience further expands the firm’s ability to advise life sciences clients across the regulatory, corporate, and litigation lifecycle.
Cooley said its life sciences platform includes regulatory, corporate, and litigation services, and that it advises a large base of public and private life sciences companies globally.
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“We are thrilled to add Stephanie to our expanding life sciences and healthcare regulatory team. As drug pricing and reimbursement issues increasingly shape corporate strategy, Stephanie’s extensive background in these areas will be a major benefit to our clients, who rely on Cooley to advise them not only on key terms in transactions, but also when to raise these issues with regulators, and how to navigate the litigation and enforcement landscape.”
Sonia Nath, Partner and Chair, Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory Practice, Cooley
“Patient access to innovative healthcare treatments and services depends on meaningful coverage and reimbursement, appropriate coding, and thoughtful appreciation and navigation of drug pricing issues. I am passionate about collaborating with clients to address these and other key issues, and I am excited to join the phenomenal Cooley team to support clients in this evolving environment.”
Stephanie Hales, Partner, Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory Practice, Cooley
