Pillsbury today announced the return of former partner Andrew Strong to the firm’s office in Houston, effective March 23, 2015. During Strong’s previous tenure with Pillsbury, he worked closely with many of the firm’s major energy clients on environmental issues and crisis prevention and response.

Strong left the firm in 2009, when he was selected by the Texas A&M System’s Board of Regents as its General Counsel and System Compliance Officer. As the chief legal officer, Strong was responsible for all legal matters over a $3.6 billion-per-year network that employs more than 45,000 people across more than 100 facilities, including 11 universities, seven state agencies and a health science center.

In 2011, Strong became President, CEO and General Counsel of Kalon Biotherapeutics, a biologics development and manufacturing company formed by the Texas A&M University System that year. Since the company’s establishment, Strong helped grow Kalon to more than 110 employees and has secured long-term contracts from notable pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline. In the last year, he led Kalon’s effort to seek a corporate buyer, which resulted in the company’s acquisition by FUJIFILM Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation, announced by Texas Governor Rick Perry at a Dec. 18 press conference.

“Andrew’s history and experience serving major energy companies and his crisis management abilities will be important additions to the services we offer,” said Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources practice leader Chris McNevin. “His experience deepens our capabilities in Houston and Austin, bringing greater value to our clients in the oil and gas industry, and we are delighted he has chosen to return to the firm.”

In addition to his role in the Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources practice, Strong will join Pillsbury’s Life Sciences team. With large and mid-size pharmaceutical and biotech start-ups coming to Texas in significant numbers, the government has worked to continue that expansion by keeping these technologies in the state, and Strong brings to Pillsbury his experience leading Kalon in this rapidly growing field.

“We are very pleased to welcome Andrew back to Pillsbury,” said Firm Chair Jim Rishwain. “His deep knowledge of the life sciences field and his relationships with many important companies will serve our clients well. Andrew will enhance Pillsbury and our clients in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals markets, as those markets are poised for significant expansion.”

“When I left the firm’s Houston office to take the GC position with Texas A&M and then moved on to Kalon, Pillsbury served as my go-to outside counsel on a variety of legal matters. They are renowned for their environmental, life sciences and corporate work,” Strong said. “They serve leaders in the Energy and Technology/Life Sciences sectors and have a world-class Crisis Management team. I’m thrilled to call Pillsbury home again. It was a great fit for me when I left, and it is an even better fit now.”

Strong received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a registered professional engineer in Texas. He earned a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the South Texas College of Law and is admitted to practice in Texas and Louisiana. He also is admitted to federal district courts in Texas and Louisiana and to the 5th and 10th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.

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