10 Merck legal directors
Director, Litigation Counsel, Director, Privacy, Legal and Director - Commercial Legal are among the roles held by these ten Merck legal directors. A reader can learn how legal directors work at Merck from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Alexandra Pearsall
LinkedInExperience: Director, Legal · Merck
Alexandra Pearsall has been Director, Legal at Merck since July 2025 and describes handling corporate and transactional matters as well as compliance, regulatory and risk management issues. Alexandra Pearsall was a Senior Associate at Day Pitney LLP from 2023 to 2025 and a Healthcare Attorney at Frier Levitt from 2016 to 2018.
Benjamin Atkins, Ph.D.
LinkedInExperience: Director, Legal · Merck
Benjamin Atkins, Ph.D. has been Director, Legal at Merck since September 2023, based in Boston, with a headline that reads Biotech Patent Attorney. Benjamin Atkins, Ph.D. was a Patent Attorney at Clark+Elbing LLP from 2022 to 2023, a Patent Agent there from 2018 to 2021 and a Technology Specialist there from 2014 to 2018.
Carolyn Kendall
LinkedInExperience: Director, Legal Counsel · Merck
Carolyn Kendall has been Director, Legal Counsel at Merck since December 2023, based in Philadelphia, and describes serving as Counsel in Merck's Office of General Counsel, with a headline that reads Experienced FDA Regulatory Attorney. Carolyn Kendall was Associate General Counsel, Director at Tandigm Health from 2021 to 2023.
Carolyn Plump
LinkedInExperience: Director, Legal - Labor & Employment · Merck
Carolyn Plump has been Director, Legal - Labor & Employment at Merck since January 2025, based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Carolyn Plump was Director, Legal - Regulatory at Merck from 2023 to 2025, Associate Professor of Law at La Salle University School of Business from 2012 to 2023 and Counsel - Labor & Employment at Hill Wallack LLP from 2010 to 2012.
Elizabeth Chang Kanoff
LinkedInExperience: Director, Regulatory Legal - Counsel · Merck
Elizabeth Chang Kanoff has been Director, Regulatory Legal - Counsel at Merck since September 2024, based in Greater Philadelphia. Elizabeth Chang Kanoff was Senior Legal Counsel - Products, Legal & Compliance Team at Panasonic North America from 2023 to 2024 and Partner and Attorney at Goldberg Segalla from 2017 to 2023.
Kristy Gonowon
LinkedInExperience: Director Legal Global Compensation & Benefits · Merck
Kristy Gonowon has been Director Legal Global Compensation & Benefits at Merck since January 2025, based in Rahway, New Jersey, with a headline that reads Director, Legal-Global Executive Compensation & Benefits. The profile describes Kristy Gonowon as a legal counsel and business partner advising stakeholders on matters with a global reach.
LaRae Neal
LinkedInExperience: Director, Litigation Counsel · Merck
LaRae Neal has been Director, Litigation Counsel at Merck since January 2026, based in Houston, and describes a practice focused on general liability, products liability and business litigation. LaRae Neal was Senior Litigation Counsel at Dow from 2024 to 2026 and Litigation Counsel at Dow from 2022 to 2024.
Margaret O'Neill
LinkedInExperience: Director, Regulatory Legal · Merck
Margaret O'Neill has been Director, Regulatory Legal at Merck since September 2021, based in Philadelphia. Margaret O'Neill was a Partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. from 2020 to 2021 and a Partner at Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP from 2018 to 2020, where Margaret O'Neill was also an Associate from 2013 to 2017.
Meaghan Geatens
LinkedInExperience: Director - Commercial Legal · Merck
Meaghan Geatens has been Director - Commercial Legal at Merck since June 2025, based in Philadelphia, and describes partnering with clients on legal and compliance issues as an in-house commercial lawyer. Meaghan Geatens was a Litigation Associate at Faegre Drinker from 2021 to 2025 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law since 2026.
William Kuzma
LinkedInExperience: Director, Privacy, Legal · Merck
William Kuzma has been Director, Privacy, Legal at Merck since January 2026, based in Philadelphia, with a headline that reads Privacy Counsel at Merck. William Kuzma was an Associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP from 2021 to 2025 and a Judicial Clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from 2020 to 2021.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's practice area, such as litigation, regulatory, commercial, privacy, employment or patents, to the question you bring. Check when each person's current role started and what the person did before it.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How is your time split between advising business teams and handling matters yourself as a legal director?
- 02What changed most in your work when you moved from a law firm or another company into Merck's legal department?
- 03How do you decide when an issue needs outside counsel rather than in-house handling?
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.