Susan J. Dewey

Susan advises life sciences and healthcare clients, including outsourcing facilities, manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies on the full range of health care regulations impacting companies operating in the industry.

She counsels clients through government inspections and investigations and assists clients in responding to Form 483s and warning letters. Susan provides guidance to clients on how to manage recalls and regulatory meetings requests. She also has experience interfacing with the FDA and DEA and advising clients on the statutes and regulations pertaining to both regulatory bodies.

Susan has a particular focus on advising compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities in regulatory, enforcement, and litigation matters. She successfully advocates for her clients before state and federal regulators. Susan frequently defends clients before state boards of pharmacy, where she has helped them obtain positive outcomes in disciplinary and administrative proceedings.

Additionally, Susan assists her clients with regulatory due diligence in the context of transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions. These matters often involve significant change of ownership issues surrounding the transfer of critical state licenses, and she helps her clients in developing and implementing strategies to ensure the smooth transition of these licenses and avoid costly business interruptions.

Susan has experience drafting and arguing motions, preparing and presenting witnesses for their depositions, deposing witnesses, and readying cases for trial. She relies on her prior litigation experience to inform her strategy for defending clients in administrative and enforcement proceedings.

Prior to joining the firm, Susan gained extensive litigation experience defending hospitals, physicians, and nurses in complex medical malpractice matters at multiple full-service litigation firms.

While in law school, Susan was a member of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Review. She also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board and a law clerk for the Criminal Appeals Division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

• Successfully argued that a state board of pharmacy was exceeding its jurisdiction by seeking to enforce drug-related provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) against a compounding pharmacy.
• Represented an FDA-registered outsourcing facility in the aftermath of a FDA inspection that resulted in a high-stakes FDA conference.
• Represented a Texas-based healthcare company in investigations and proceedings brought by two different state boards of pharmacy. In both cases, no action was taken against the client’s licenses, resulting in a complete closeout.
• Represented a healthcare company against a state board of pharmacy seeking to levy a large fine against the client, which would have been reportable to the national practitioner database and likely resulted in similar actions in other states. Demonstrated to the board that it was unlawfully attempting to enforce drug-related provisions of the FDCA in violation of the prohibition against non-federal enforcement and moved the board to instead issue a non-disciplinary instrument and no fine.

• 2025, “Rising Stars for Healthcare,” listed in Super Lawyers
• 2024–2025, “Ones to Watch for Transportation Law,” listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Susan serves as a member of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.

Admissions

• Illinois

Education

• Chicago-Kent College of Law, JD, magna cum laude
• University of Illinois, BA