________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
how strong patents are in litigation,” she observes.“ Seeing how they are challenged and why patents survive teaches you how to prosecute them more effectively.”
Her team also manages partnerships worldwide to develop new oncology therapies. These arrangements involve detailed negotiations about intellectual property, data rights, regulatory responsibilities, and development plans.“ You know you have a good agreement when everyone is fine with it, and eager to get started, but each party feels they needed to offer compromises to get it done,” Brenda observes. That balance reflects a fair allocation of risk and reward among partners.
Within the company, Brenda focuses on integrating legal thinking into business decisions as early as possible. She encourages teams to involve legal counsel during
Shared vision. Endless possibilities.
wilmerhale. com
WilmerHale is proud to partner with Exelixis in safeguarding innovative treatments and technologies that help people live healthier, fuller lives. We commend Brenda Hefti for her exceptional leadership and vision, and for her unwavering commitment to advancing innovation and championing excellence across the organization.
research and development, not just at latestage milestones.“ If Legal develops a reputation as the‘ Department of No,’ teams will hesitate to include us in early discussions,” she points out. Instead, she positions Legal as a partner that supports innovation and is solution-oriented while setting guardrails to protect patients, the company, and its stakeholders.
She starts each engagement by understanding the business goal behind a proposal, then works backward to propose solutions that account for regulatory, contractual, and litigation risk.“ If I understand what the company wants, we can usually find a path forward while managing risk,” Brenda explains. That mindset helps her team support ambitious science and corporate goals while maintaining a strong compliance culture.
The work demands decisions amid uncertainty, as facts shift and data remains incomplete. As responsibilities expand, legal leaders must make judgments without perfect information.“ As you move into senior roles, you must be comfortable making decisions with enough facts, but often without all the facts,” she notes. For Brenda, that means drawing on her scientific training, legal expertise, long experience, and understanding of Exelixis’ risk tolerance.
Brenda’ s approach shapes collaboration with the executive team and Board,
contributing legal expertise in research, resource allocation, partnerships and risk. The goal: deliver new therapies for patients with cancer by providing practical, riskbased legal guidance throughout the drug development process. She sees legal as an essential function for guiding Exelixis amid scientific, regulatory and policy uncertainty. ■
Attorney Advertising © 2026 Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr llp www. exelixis. com
54