Richard Wood

Mr. Wood began his food, drug and medical device regulatory practice in 1976 when he joined Burditt & Calkins, the boutique, Chicago-based, food and drug firm founded by George M. Burditt. In his early years as a food and drug attorney, Mr. Wood worked on a number of high profile matters, including the FDA Administrative Hearing on FDA’s denial of the Cyclamate Food Additive Petition for Abbott Laboratories and federal litigation for Medtronic Inc. that tested and ultimately limited FDA’s record inspection authority under the Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations newly promulgated by FDA under the Medical Device Amendments of 1976.

Mr. Wood subsequently spent four years as FDA Counsel for G.D. Searle. In that position, he:

• broadened his exposure to FDA’s regulation of food by handling FDA regulatory issues for both NutraSweet and Equal,
• developed an expertise in FDA’s extensive regulatory oversight of drugs (OTC and prescription),
• continued his medical device work for Searle’s IUD,
• developed, out of his responsibility for the review of advertising and labeling of all Searle products, extensive experience in the private (e.g., NAD and Lanham Act) and governmental (e.g., FDA and FTC) regulation of consumer-directed communications of health care products, and
• gained exposure to several other federal regulatory agencies, including USDA, OSHA, CPSC and EPA and their state counterparts.

Upon leaving Searle in the mid-80’s, Mr. Wood rejoined the Burditt food and drug firm and continued his practice in food and drug law with that food and drug practice group until he withdrew to found The Wood Burditt Group in 2005.

When not practicing FDA regulatory law, Mr. Wood can usually be found outdoors, perhaps on the golf course, where his objective is to play every course designed by Seth Raynor, or attending lectures or listening to symphonies at his family’s four generation home in Chautauqua, New York, or in Taos, New Mexico, where he snow skis or hikes, depending on the season.