Former Pfizer Assistant General Counsel Carlton Wessel joins DLA Piper’s Washington office as a partner today. Wessel was previously a partner at King & Spaulding. Frank Conner, managing partner at DLA Piper said that Wessel’s former work and relationship with Pfizer along with Wessel’s extensive background in white collar matters such as government and internal investigations and compliance were significant factors in hiring Wessel.

Wessel stated that he was very familiar with Pfizer’s legal team and handled product liability for the company during his tenure as Assistant General Counsel. He cited the strong relationship between Pfizer and DLA Piper and his familiarity with both organizations. Wessel left Pfizer in 2008 for King & Spaulding, which declined to comment on today’s move.