2025 In-House Counsel Awards: Elizabeth A. Whalley

Number of years with firm: 4

Law school: George Mason School of Law (2000)

Legal leadership: I established the in-house legal and compliance functions at Phlow Corp., a trailblazing essential medicines impact company reimagining essential medicines using flow chemistry and advanced manufacturing processes. I managed its initial $354 million federal contract and its inclusion in the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) network, part of a comprehensive U.S. government effort to provide a domestically integrated approach to addressing public health emergencies.

Pro bono work/community or civil involvement: I serve as trustee of the Medical College of Virginia Foundation Board of Trustees, chairwoman of Early Impact Virginia Board of Directors, co-founder of The Virginia Pay for Success Council, and am a licensed registered nurse and member of the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps.

On my identity/background: As a registered nurse with extensive senior business experience and member of a multigenerational military family, I’ve built my legal career supporting healthcare, national defense, and public health initiatives, delivering practical legal counsel to mission-driven organizations addressing critical gaps in America’s public health emergency preparedness.

Most pressing issue that IHCs face: Changing geopolitical and regulatory landscapes present the primary challenge, with ongoing developments in regulatory compliance, innovation, privacy, sustainability, and fluctuating market and government dynamics.