Laura Akowuah
Laura Akowuah serves as Special Counsel in Cooley’s Washington, DC office. Her practice focuses on compliance and enforcement of federal food and drug laws and regulations. She joined Cooley after more than 10 years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While at the FDA, Laura served as Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement in the Office of the Chief Counsel, advising on litigation and enforcement spanning all FDA-regulated product areas, including food, dietary supplements, drugs, medical devices, and biological products. 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 involving violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 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. While with the Human Foods Program, she led the development and implementation of compliance and enforcement strategies to address regulatory issues and compliance challenges associated with conventional food, dietary supplements, infant formula, produce, and imports. Laura also oversaw the compliance strategy and activities for urgent food-related matters concerning outbreaks, recalls, regulatory misconduct complaints, violative inspections, and emerging public health issues.
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. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge 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 degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, an MPH degree from George Washington’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, and her 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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