About

GSK’s litigation head PD Villarreal is a big believer in early dispute resolution, through use of the MASTER program: ‘with disciplined application of the program, quick and inexpensive solutions can be found. It has worked really well and made massive savings’. Villarreal is something of a pioneer for early dispute resolution – he successfully implemented it in his previous roles at GE and Schering Plough, and now with GSK, appears to have scored a hat trick. When he took on the role in 2009, there were multiple ongoing investigations against the company. He admits that at the time, ‘the long-term health of the company was questionable’, but he managed to drastically reduce the volume of cases, no mean feat for a pharmaceutical company and something Villarreal considers his ‘crowning achievement at GSK’. He says ‘until the recent litigation in China, there was actually very little going on’. He acknowledges that the current crisis facing the company is taking up the majority of his time, but the group is in the best possible hands given Villarreal’s credentials, and the strong team he has below him. Speaking of his management style, he says ‘there is no secret sauce, but I believe in (a) celebrating every success, (b) raising expectations and (c) encouraging lively debate’. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s David Rivkin comments, ‘PD has created a wonderful spirit within his department. I have rarely seen a happier group of in-house counsel’.