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Laura Akowuah
Laura Akowuah is Special Counsel in Cooley’s Washington, DC office, where she advises clients on FDA compliance, enforcement risk, and regulatory strategy across the food and drug sectors. She routinely helps clients navigate recalls, adverse inspectional findings, imports, and responses to FDA regulatory actions. Laura also counsels clients on various premarket product pathways and provides strategic guidance to help clients minimize advertising- and labeling-related risk. Her practice draws on more than a decade of experience at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where she served in the Office of the Chief Counsel and in leadership roles within FDA’s Human Foods Program.
Laura served as Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement in the Office of the Chief Counsel, advising on litigation and enforcement associated with food, dietary supplements, medical products, and clinical trials. She advised special agents in the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and assisted the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in investigations and criminal prosecutions. Most recently, Laura held multiple leadership roles in FDA’s Human Foods Program (formerly the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition), including Acting Director for the Office of Enforcement, Acting Director for the Office of Compliance Intervention and Consultation, and Senior Advisor for Critical Foods Enforcement and Compliance in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement. Laura has received multiple accolades for her service at the FDA, including the Outstanding Service Award and the DOJ’s John Marshall Award–the department’s highest award offered to attorneys. Laura clerked for the Honorable John A. Gibney, Jr. of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before law school, Laura worked on public health initiatives both domestically and abroad. Laura received her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, an MPH from George Washington’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, and BS from North Carolina State University.
Sessions
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MAHA Unpacked: The Impact & Opportunity of Policy Shifts to Healthier Food Systems19-Mar-2026Main Stage
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