Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), today named Tom DiLenge as Vice President and General Counsel.

"Since joining BIO last year as our Deputy General Counsel, Tom has been invaluable in dealing with the complex legal issues faced by our industry, from pandemic flu and biodefense preparedness to the key regulatory issues facing our smaller, emerging companies. In his new role, Tom will continue to be an asset to BIO and to the biotechnology industry as our senior legal officer," Greenwood stated. "I have known Tom for many years and have been impressed by his intellect, work ethic, and sound legal counsel."

DiLenge joined BIO in November 2005 as Deputy General Counsel and has served as Acting General Counsel since the end of February.

Prior to joining BIO, DiLenge served as the Chief Counsel and Policy Director for the House Homeland Security Committee and previously served as a senior counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. On the Hill, DiLenge was a leading expert in the area of public health emergency preparedness.

Prior to working on Capitol Hill, DiLenge worked at the Washington, D.C. office of the international law firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Mawe, where he participated in a sophisticated general and appellate commercial litigation practice. In this capacity, DiLenge represented a host of publicly traded and privately held corporations, including those in the agricultural, healthcare, and accounting industries. He worked closely with in-house corporate counsel on compliance, investigative, and litigation matters, with a particular focus on antitrust issues and investigations.

DiLenge graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 1988 and graduated with honors from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1993.

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.