Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury, Counsel Neelam Gill, and Associate Josephine Hsu received the 2022 “Go-To Thought Leader” award from the National Law Review under the “Biotech, Food and Drug” category. 

Azim, Neelam, and Josephine received this distinction for their March 16, 2022 article, FDA Receives Authorization to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine, which provided a timely analysis of Congress’ decision to expand the definition of a “tobacco product” in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to include not just products derived from tobacco, but products that contain nicotine from any source, including synthetic nicotine. The National Law Review recognized the article, which reached roughly 100,000 readers, as demonstrating high-quality thought leadership and providing valuable guidance for attorneys and industry professionals, especially in the constantly evolving nicotine regulation landscape. 

The 2022 “Go-To Thought Leadership Awards” recognize exceptional authors and legal organizations for their reporting of complex legislative and litigation needs, as well as their strategic insight and overall legal industry knowledge. The National Law Review’s editors selected 75 articles from a pool of 12,000 contributed pieces to receive these awards. Less than 1% of the National Law Review contributing authors are recognized each year.