SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 21, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- JoAnna R. Soffa, JD, MPH, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Ms. Soffa has established a distinguished career in health care law, marked by nearly three decades of experience spanning government service, private practice and leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2023, she has served as the vice president of health care law at Genentech Inc., a subsidiary of the Roche Group, where she oversees a team of approximately 40 legal and regulatory professionals.

As a member of the Genentech U.S. leadership team, Ms. Soffa collaborates with senior executives, including the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief medical officer, as well as other senior business leaders in the company. She also serves on the legal leadership team, which is responsible for guiding a department of approximately 200 individuals.

Ms. Soffa's tenure at Genentech Inc. began in 2008 when she joined as a senior health care law attorney. Her expertise and commitment to organizational excellence led to her appointment as group manager in 2013, where she expanded her responsibilities to include oversight of larger teams and multiple therapeutic and functional areas. From 2013 to 2018, she held the position of associate director and assistant general counsel, followed by her advancement to senior director and associate general counsel from 2018 to 2023. Throughout her progression at Genentech Inc., Ms. Soffa has been recognized for her deep regulatory knowledge, practical & solutions-oriented advising, legal judgment, and ability to foster impactful relationships with clients and colleagues.

Prior to her work at Genentech Inc., Ms. Soffa was senior counsel at Johnson & Johnson from 2005 to 2007, where she provided legal guidance on complex regulatory matters within the health care sector. From 1998 to 2005, she served as a senior associate at Keller and Heckman LLP, focusing on food and drug law in private practice. Ms. Soffa's foundational experience was shaped by her role as assistant chief counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 1996 to 1998, where she acquired significant insight about federal regulatory frameworks.

A hallmark of Ms. Soffa's career is her emphasis on leadership excellence and people management. She has consistently challenged the notion that lawyers cannot be effective managers; she equally values an individual's personal qualities and experiences alongside their professional skills, and believes this is what contributes to excellence in legal counseling. This holistic approach has defined her management style and is regarded by Ms. Soffa as her most significant professional achievement.

Ms. Soffa's academic background includes a Doctor of Law from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC, which she completed in 1996, earning honors. Concurrently, she completed a Master of Public Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Vassar College in 1993, graduating with both general and departmental honors. In recognition of her academic distinction, Ms. Soffa has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Omega honor societies.

In addition to her formal academic degrees, Ms. Soffa has pursued professional certifications through Coursera Inc. These include courses in Building High-Performing Teams, The Power of Team Culture, Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change, and Social Psychology. Complementing her academic and professional development, Ms. Soffa has also maintained active licensure to practice law through the State Bar of California since 1996 and the District of Columbia Bar since 1999. Ms. Soffa also volunteers her time to support her community; since 2017, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the Northern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and also participates in an advisory capacity in other health care-related organizations.

Throughout her career, Ms. Soffa has attributed her success to placing people at the center of her work, emphasizing collaboration and recognizing both the human element and legal expertise within her teams. Her interest in health care law was influenced by her dual graduate studies in public health and law at George Washington University, which reinforced her belief that this practice area is universally relevant, given that everyone is a patient and/or caregiver at some point.

Outside her professional commitments, Ms. Soffa enjoys traveling, reading, painting, and spending time with family and friends. Looking ahead, she is passionate about demonstrating the meaningful role that health care law attorneys can play in advancing both their profession and the health of their communities. Ms. Soffa hopes to inspire other women to pursue impactful and fulfilling legal careers in this vital field.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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