By Suzi Morales
law briefs
Suffolk Law alumna Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, JD ’06, recently joined Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to co-author a Boston Globe op-ed calling for funding to fend off competition in the biotech industry. Burlin O’Connell is the CEO of MassBio, a major life sciences trade group.
“To lengthen our well-earned lead in the face of fierce competition from other cities, states, and countries, we must be innovative and inclusive, strengthen our partnerships, and make bold investments in all areas that support our life sciences ecosystem,” they wrote.
Healey and O’Connell call for the reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative, a state-sponsored program that has invested over $1.6 billion into the industry since its inception in 2008. The number of life sciences employees working in Massachusetts has increased by more than 50% since 2018, to 113,000, they report. “Average annual wages have jumped to more than $200,000 per year,” and “venture capital funding (approaching $9 billion) nearly doubled.”
During Suffolk Law’s All Rise event—an annual celebration honoring alumnae and their contributions to the legal field—O’Connell took the stage to share insights into her career journey and the need for diversity in the biotech realm.
“I think that having my Suffolk Law degree was really the entry point for me to think about MassBio and how I could bring value to the organization,” said O’Connell, who first worked as legal counsel for the nonprofit.
In 2019, Suffolk Law launched a Master of Science in Law: Life Sciences (MSLL) degree to help students secure employment in the fast-growing biotech/pharma area.
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Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, JD ’06 (above), Gov. Maura Healey (below)
winter 2024
Photograph courtesy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Governor
Suffolk Law alumna Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, JD ’06, recently joined Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to co-author a Boston Globe op-ed calling for funding to fend off competition in the biotech industry. Burlin O’Connell is the CEO of MassBio, a major life sciences trade group.
“To lengthen our well-earned lead in the face of fierce competition from other cities, states, and countries, we must be innovative and inclusive, strengthen our partnerships, and make bold investments in all areas that support our life sciences ecosystem,” they wrote.
Healey and O’Connell call for the reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative, a state-sponsored program that has invested over $1.6 billion into the industry since its inception in 2008. The number of life sciences employees working in Massachusetts has increased by more than 50% since 2018, to 113,000, they report. “Average annual wages have jumped to more than $200,000 per year,” and “venture capital funding (approaching $9 billion) nearly doubled.”
During Suffolk Law’s All Rise event—an annual celebration honoring alumnae and their contributions to the legal field—O’Connell took the stage to share insights into her career journey and the need for diversity in the biotech realm.
“I think that having my Suffolk Law degree was really the entry point for me to think about MassBio and how I could bring value to the organization,” said O’Connell, who first worked as legal counsel for the nonprofit.
In 2019, Suffolk Law launched a Master of Science in Law: Life Sciences (MSLL) degree to help students secure employment in the fast-growing biotech/pharma area.
Photograph courtesy of MassBio