Leigh Ann M Durant
EMD, Serono, Inc., USA
Biography
Leigh-Ann M Durant, Esq., is a senior legal and business executive with more than 24 years of experience in the global biopharmaceutical industry. She is currently the Head lawyer for all R&D activities in the US at EMD Serono, Inc., the US affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. She also serves as an independent director on a privately-held biotech company. Earlier in her career, she was a trial lawyer and Partner at Nixon Peabody LLP and law clerk for Chief Justice Weisberger of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Recipient of the national Top 30 Emerging Leaders in the Pharmaceutical Industry Award, Woman of the Year in Law Award and Top 10 Women Lawyers in Massachusetts Award, for over two decades she has served on a variety of boards and executive committees, has led various legal and non-profit organizations as President, and speaks nationally on a variety of topics.