14 May 2021
Kate Beale is joining Crowell & Moring and Crowell & Moring International LLC (CMI), bringing more than two decades of U.S. and international experience leading global health, international trade, investment, and economic policy in Congress, the Obama-Biden administration, foreign markets, and in C-suites across Global Fortune 500 companies.
Beale will be senior policy director in the firm’s Government Affairs practice and a director with CMI, the firm’s global public policy affiliate. Prior to joining the firm, Beale was associate vice president for international advocacy at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). At PhRMA, she led the association’s advocacy efforts in India, Australia, and Washington, D.C., working with ministries of Commerce, Finance, and Health as well as the U.S. State Department, National Security Council, Office of the United States Trade Representative, Department of Commerce, and Capitol Hill. Beale led commercial diplomacy on key issues of market development, regulatory frameworks, intellectual property, international trade, and patient access to strengthen international health systems and respond to emerging global health threats, including COVID-19, antimicrobial resistance, and human immunodeficiency virus.
“Kate brings a unique set of U.S. government and international perspectives on global policy challenges facing companies and political leaders, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and the U.S., where we are seeing client demand for addressing health policy issues,” said Robert Holleyman, CEO and president of CMI. “Her in-depth experience in the Obama-Biden administration, extensive work with leading healthcare companies, ability to build consensus across political parties in Washington, and advocacy in major capitals around the world will benefit companies and boards of directors as they develop their global strategies. In addition, Kate’s work on health-related issues in India adds to our strategic capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Over the past two years, the firm has opened an office in Shanghai and CMI launched an office in Singapore to advise global businesses on the fast-evolving policy and regulatory landscape across Asia.
Prior to joining PhRMA, Beale served in the U.S. government for over 15 years. President Barack Obama appointed Beale to serve as deputy assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Her work focused on the overall strategy of the agency and specific programs in global health, humanitarian assistance, innovation, and governance across 13 bilateral missions and three regional missions. Beale played a leadership role in developing the Congressional response to the Haiti Earthquake and securing funding for Haiti relief programs and policies.
Beale also worked as the director of congressional relations at the Peace Corps, where she led the negotiations with Senate and House Appropriations Committees for the agency’s annual budget, led congressional delegations to key countries, and supported strategic programmatic expansions in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Beale led the Ebola-response efforts for the Peace Corps and the redesign of the Global Health Service Partnership funded by PEPFAR: the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In addition, Beale managed the implementation of the Kate Puzey Volunteer Protection Act, which supports the victims of violence and sexual assault while protecting Peace Corps whistleblowers.
“We are thrilled to have Kate join our team. She is a seasoned government affairs and public policy strategist. Kate understands some of the most important policy areas impacting U.S. and global companies and the emerging approaches and considerations within the Biden administration and Capitol Hill,” said Jim Flood, chair of the firm's Government Affairs Group. “She provides unique insight into how to navigate the Indo-Pacific and the corridors of Washington, D.C.”
Beale previously worked as a legislative staff member for both Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), handling appropriations, healthcare, infrastructure, women’s issues and a variety of critical policy matters. She was instrumental in drafting legislation and working alongside the National Congress of Black Women and the Architect of the Capitol to place the bust of Sojourner Truth in the U.S. Capitol, the first sculpture to honor an African American woman on the Capitol grounds. Beale began her career in public service with the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Paraguay.
“My government affairs and public policy practice draws upon the unique strengths of both Crowell & Moring’s Government Affairs and CMI’s talented teams to deliver solutions to clients’ complex policy and business challenges,” said Beale. “These practice areas are sitting at the cutting edge of the intersection of domestic and international policy.”
Beale received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University. She is a former board member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, former chair of the Title IX Congressional Conference, and currently co-chair of the National Women’s Hall of Fame 2021 Induction.
Beale’s appointment further enhances CMI’s global health and life sciences service offering, which it has provided for three decades to clients seeking guidance on regulatory and policy matters as they bring their innovations to market. CMI works with nine out of ten of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies (by revenue) and a wide spectrum of medical device, technology, digital health, nutrition, and distribution businesses – and their industry associations – to advance their perspectives in key international forums, and with government regulators in pursuit of better health for all.
An Pham, Senior Manager, Crowell & Moring
