The shake-up in the Pfizer Inc. law department continues under new general counsel Douglas Lankler, with this week’s removal of Ellen Rosenthal. She served as chief counsel for the Pfizer Legal Alliance (PLA), a select group of 15 law firms that represent the company.
The alliance was hailed as a model in cost-cutting and law firm management for in-house counsel. Besides handling cases, the PLA’s work included a large number of pro bono and public interest efforts in which the outside firms were pushed to participate along with Pfizer.
Now, the question is: What will happen to the PLA and those efforts? At least one source has said Lankler told his legal team members that they could hire firms outside the alliance if they want.
