Leading Life Sciences Lawyer Ricky C. Benjamin Joins Carlton Fields Health Care Practice

ATLANTA, GA – Ricky C. Benjamin has joined Carlton Fields’ national Health Care Practice as a shareholder in Atlanta. He was most recently a partner at Akerman LLP.

Ricky brings more than three decades of life sciences experience advising pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic companies on regulatory, compliance, commercialization, and litigation matters. He has significant experience in product liability defense, qui tam litigation, government investigations, and regulatory compliance counseling.

“Ricky’s previous in-house and private practice experiences provide a perspective for developing creative and pragmatic solutions to challenging issues faced by our clients,” said Tre Dixon, chair of the firm’s Health Care Practice.

Ricky has litigated more than 200 cases, defended or responded to over 50 government investigations, and conducted more than 75 internal audits as part of managing global privileged investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA), amid allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. He also counsels manufacturers in supply chain matters related to regulatory activities and product launch, including labeling, sales and promotions activities, software licensing agreements, and product liability litigation.

“The Carlton Fields platform better enables me to expand my life sciences practice from the standpoint of resources at my fingertips and commitment to developing in the life sciences space,” said Ricky. “The firm has demonstrated an appetite to develop and expand its focus on the life sciences industry and I am excited for the opportunity to help lead them in this rapidly growing area.”

In addition to his time in private practice, Ricky held in-house positions as general counsel for a dental practice, an oculoplastic surgical and lithotripsy practice, and a hospice care facility developing and expanding on the commercial and regulatory parameters of the many drug and medical device instruments utilized by these facilities. He was also regional head of litigation for a global insurer and a professor of health care law and ethics at Tulane University.

Ricky earned his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law and his B.S. from Southern University and A&M College.