Title: Vice President of the Healthcare Law Group
Company: Genentech Inc.
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
JoAnna R. Soffa, JD, Vice President of the Health Care Law Group at Genentech Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements and leadership in Health Care Law.
Ms. Soffa, vice president of health care law at Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group and a leading biotechnology research company based in California, is lauded for her expertise as an esteemed attorney. Since 2023, she has been actively engaged with the Genentech U.S. leadership team, collaborating with the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief medical officer and field force representatives. She also serves on the legal leadership team, overseeing the law department of approximately 200 professionals. Additionally, Ms. Soffa leads her own team of about 40 legal and regulatory professionals and manages a $9 million budget. Her responsibilities include guiding legal strategy for health care law matters and fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.
Affiliated with Genentech Inc. for over 15 years, Ms. Soffa previously served as a senior director and associate general counsel from 2018 to 2023. During this period, she expanded her leadership scope by managing larger teams across various therapeutic and functional areas within the organization. This role followed Ms. Soffa’s tenure as an associate director and assistant general counsel between 2013 and 2018. During this period, she managed groups on larger teams within the health care law department, overseeing various therapeutic and functional areas, before advancing to her current position as vice president. Ms. Soffa initially joined Genentech in 2008 as senior corporate counsel, providing legal guidance on complex regulatory issues and building strong relationships with clients and colleagues, establishing herself as a trusted advisor within the company.
Leveraging her former success, Ms. Soffa worked for Johnson & Johnson as a senior counsel from 2005 to 2007. In this role, she advised on food and drug regulatory matters for one of the world’s largest health care companies, honing her expertise in pharmaceutical law. Earlier, Ms. Soffa excelled as a senior associate at Keller and Heckman LLP in Washington, D.C., between 1998 and 2005, where she represented clients in food and drug law matters before federal agencies and courts.
Ms. Soffa began her legal career as an assistant chief counsel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996. There, she gained invaluable experience interpreting federal regulations and advising on enforcement actions that shaped her solutions-oriented approach to legal practice.
Ms. Soffa’s three-decade-long career in law with the FDA, in private practice and in the pharmaceutical industry has been instrumental in shaping her success. In addition to her professional roles in the field, she contributed to legal education as a guest speaker for the food and drug law course at the Hastings College of the Law at the University of California.
Highly educated, Ms. Soffa earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, with general and department honors, from Vassar College in 1993, followed by a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Jurisprudence, with honors, from The George Washington University, both earned in 1996. She was admitted to practice by the California and D.C. Bar Associations. Additionally, Ms. Soffa’s commitment to continuous learning is reflected in her credentials in social psychology, social work practice, the power of team culture, and building high-performance teams, all completed through Coursera.
Ms. Soffa is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Health Law Association and the Law Association for Women. Civically, she has served as a board of trustees member for the Northern California chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society since 2017. She also sponsors various initiatives, such as the Abilities Affinity Group and the Genentech Women’s Professionals Group, and volunteers with the University of California, San Francisco, patient and family support groups.
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and raised in San Francisco, California, Ms. Soffa’s early experiences shaped her perspective and contributed to her commitment to public service and leadership within the legal profession. She attributes her success to prioritizing people, valuing attorneys beyond technical expertise, and focusing on unlocking potential through collaboration and empathy. Ms. Soffa’s approach is rooted in practical solutions that keep patients’ needs at the forefront while debunking misconceptions about attorneys’ roles in health care. Eager for the future, she aims to demonstrate how health care law attorneys can be a force for good within their industry while inspiring female attorneys to realize their potential for significant contributions to society.
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