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Christina Farr, a health tech investor and former journalist, and Tom Cassels, the former CEO of Rock Health Advisory, are taking their expertise to the consulting and legal firm Manatt, Endpoints News has learned exclusively.
They will join Manatt’s healthcare industry group as managing directors to advise its digital health and life sciences clients. Shamiram Feinglass, a public health doctor and former Danaher executive, and Melindah Sharma, formerly with Johnson & Johnson, are also joining Manatt as managing directors.
Farr previously spent over three years at OMERS Ventures, where she was a principal investor focused on health tech, working on deals involving Oath Care, Caraway and other startups. She also writes a weekly newsletter about the sector called Second Opinion, which she’ll continue to publish while at Manatt.
Farr told Endpoints that she’ll be helping companies with everything from fundraising to communications strategies.
“I’ve always wanted to work with really, really smart people who are very passionate about what they do,” Farr said. “I’m going to learn a lot about this industry from this group of people who were already here and when I heard these folks were joining, it was a double-whammy.”
Cassels, who previously advised companies on digital health strategies at Rock Health, said the group’s different backgrounds working in the industry, strategic communications and consulting will benefit clients.
“I always think it’s really hard to be helpful to clients in a holistic way if you don’t have multiple lenses to focus on,” he said. “You’ve got payment policy, you’ve got regulation, you’ve got legal rules, and then there has to be innovation. And only when you put all those lenses on can you move from ‘well this is a neat idea’ to action.”