Madeleine McDonough

Madeleine M. McDonough began a five-year term as Chair of Shook, Hardy & Bacon on January 1, 2017. A former clinical pharmacist, she represents multinational companies in a range of industries: pharmaceutical, animal health, medical device, food, cosmetics and beverage.

Shook’s pharmaceutical company clients have described Madeleine as “a true visionary and trusted counsel” and “one of the finest lawyers I have ever worked with—brilliant, innovative, with enormous integrity.”

During her tenure as Chair of Shook’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Practice, the firm represented dozens of major pharmaceutical clients, including each of the top-10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Madeleine has also served as Co-Chair of the Agribusiness and Food Safety Practice, and Co-Chair of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Practice. She was elected to serve four three-year terms on the firm’s Executive Committee.

Madeleine advises organizations on preventative litigation approaches, policy and governance issues, emerging international legal developments, creative resolution strategies, risk management, corporate social responsibility and crisis management.

The National Law Journal named Madeleine one of the nation’s top-50 Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers in its inaugural 2014 class.

Before her legal career, Madeleine worked as a clinical pharmacist in a large university teaching hospital and brings her pharmaceutical background to her representation of pharmaceutical, medical device, food, and cosmetics manufacturers in product liability, regulatory and related legal issues.

Madeleine served as editor-in-chief of the Kansas Law Review. She earned her LLM in Global Health Law from Georgetown University Law Center. She chairs the Community Advisory Board of KCUR-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in Kansas City.

Education:

• LL.M., Georgetown University Law Center, 2012 (Global Health Law)
• J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 1990
• B.S., University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Pharmacy, 1985

Bar Admissions:

• District of Columbia
• Missouri
• U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships:

• American Bar Association, Section of Science and Technology; Food, Cosmetics and Nutraceuticals Committee, Immediate Past Chair
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), Finance Committee
• Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP), Board of Directors
• Personal Care Products Council
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• The Bar of the District of Columbia
• The Missouri Bar
• Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association; Public Service Committee, Former Chair; Kansas City Summer Law Internship Program for High School Students, Co-Founder

Community Involvement:

• Kansas City Civic Council, Secretary/Treasurer
• Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
• KCUR-FM Community Advisory Board, Chair
• Kauffman Center Ensemble Advisory Council