A member of Venable's regulatory group, Ilene Ringel Heller has significant experience in food and drug regulation, evaluating claims and determining whether they are properly substantiated. She focuses her practice on food labeling, functional foods and dietary supplements. Through her experience, Ms. Heller offers a unique perspective that clients find informative and necessary as they navigate complex regulatory issues facing the food and dietary supplement industry.
Prior to joining Venable, Ms. Heller spent over 14 years with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) where she rose to associate director of legal affairs. At CSPI, Ms. Heller engaged in legislative and administrative advocacy and represented the organization before the Food & Drug Administration and other federal agencies and industry groups, such as the Food & Drug Law Institute. She co-authored a ground-breaking report, Food Labeling Chaos: The Case for Reform. She also orchestrated and made a presentation at a meeting between the White House Domestic Policy Council and a coalition of major health and consumer groups on food labeling reform issues and, at the request of the Domestic Policy Council, developed a blueprint for regulatory reform.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Heller worked in private practice advising clients on product planning and compliance with applicable statutes and regulations in the food, drug and medical device industries. She also worked as a staff reporter for the Legal Times of Washington, investigating developments involving the Federal Trade Commission, the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department, the Federal Reserve Board, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Commerce Department, and the Office of Special Trade Representative. Ms. Heller wrote detailed analyses of court decisions, government regulations, legislative controversies and emerging legal trends.
Activities
Ms. Heller has served on the editorial board of Food and Drug Law Journal since 2010. She was also a member of the steering committee for the Administrative Law Section of the DC Bar in 2006-2009, co-chairing the section in 2008-2009.
Industries
Dietary Supplements, Cosmetics and Functional Foods
News
February 16, 2012, Food Chemical News highlights Ilene Heller's move to Venable
February 13, 2012, Ilene Heller's move to Venable continues to draw coverage
February 8, 2012, Publications highlight Ilene Heller's move to Venable
January 31, 2012, Venable Adds Food & Drug Attorney Ilene Ringel Heller, former Associate Director of Legal Affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest
Publications
May 10, 2012, Advertising News & Analysis - May 10, 2012
Jeffrey D. Knowles, Roger A. Colaizzi, Gary D. Hailey, Leonard L. Gordon, Stuart P. Ingis, Amy Ralph Mudge, Randal M. Shaheen, Damon W.D. Wright, Ilene Ringel Heller, Michael A. Signorelli, Ariel S. Wolf
Advertising Alert
February 2012, Food & Drug Law Update - February 2012
Todd A. Harrison, Claudia A. Lewis-Eng, Ilene Ringel Heller
Client Alerts
2009, Food Labeling Chaos: The Case for Reform
Ilene Ringel Heller
Center for Science in the Public Interest
2005, Functional Foods: Regulatory and Marketing Developments in the United States
Ilene Ringel Heller
Regulation of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals l69
2003, Starvation Diet: FDA Lacks Adequate Resources for Its Nutritional Health and Consumer Protection Missions
Ilene Ringel Heller
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Events/Speaking Engagements
Past Events
2010, "Consumer Perspectives on Biomarker and Surrogate Endpoint Evaluation," Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences
Ilene Ringel Heller
2009, "The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990: Time for Some Fine Tuning," Joint Annual Meeting of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and The American Council on Consumer Interests
Ilene Ringel Heller
2008, "U.S. Regulatory Requirements for Conventional Foods Sold as 'Functional Foods,'" Focus on the Future
Ilene Ringel Heller
2006, "Single Serving-Size Products," FDLI Conference on Food Labeling Claims and Controversies
Ilene Ringel Heller
2004, "FDA's Dietary Supplement Enforcement Program: New Approach or New Packaging," Winter Toxicology Forum
Ilene Ringel Heller