SAN DIEGO – Oct. 14, 2025 – With an eye toward growing innovative technology in the Life Sciences & Medical Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Space realms, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added Dr. John E. Wehrli as shareholder in the San Diego office. He joins the firm from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and previously was an equity partner at Jones Day and Latham & Watkins, and started his law firm career at Cooley.
Wehrli’s global life sciences practice focuses primarily on complex cross-border, bet-the-company strategic transactions, having worked on deals worth a total of more than $133 billion. He represents neurotechnology, life science artificial intelligence, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic companies, including those working in space applications, as well as pharmaceutical companies in mergers and acquisitions. Wehrli’s practice spans the globe , with a growing Latin America and Middle East client base in addition to established clients across Asia and Europe, corresponding with Greenberg Traurig’s global office footprint in 50 locations.
“Adding someone with John’s talent and scientific expertise, someone whose career includes leadership roles in law, government, and the biotech industry, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence,” said CEO Brian L. Duffy. “He is working on leading-edge matters that will have a profound impact on the future of society.”
“John’s award-winning global partnerships and headline-making transactions, two of which won the California Life Science Association’s Pantheon award for outstanding partnering deal of the year, mean he is recognized as one of the top life science attorneys globally. John’s specialized technical background in life science artificial intelligence and neurotechnology will significantly enhance the breadth and depth of services we offer our clients across the life sciences sector,” said Ellen M. Bronchetti and John P. Cleary, co-managing shareholders of the firm’s San Diego office, in a joint statement.
Wehrli recently earned a Ph.D. in computational and behavioral neuroscience, an area at the nexus of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychology, that will support his legal counsel to, for example, venture capital firms that invest in neurotechnology companies or life science companies that develop or implement artificial intelligence tools. In addition to this niche practice, Wehrli will continue working on traditional biotechnology global strategic partnering deals, joint ventures, spinouts, co-promotion agreements, and other strategic intellectual property transactions with major pharmaceutical companies.
“I was drawn to Greenberg Traurig because of its deep and expansive global platform, which dovetails with where my clients live and work. The growing Space & Satellite group was especially enticing, as my practice at the intersection of space and biotech has grown exponentially over the last few years,” Wehrli said.
Wehrli also has a significant litigation-focused pro bono practice. He consults on scientific expert testimony on civil and criminal cases that involve complex neuroscience evidence. Much of his pro bono work is centered on children’s rights and protection. Wehrli is currently associate editor and a contributing author for the upcoming edition of the Litigator’s Handbook of Forensic Medicine, Psychiatry, and Psychology. He is also an emeritus member of the Dean’s Leadership Council of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.
Wehrli received his Ph.D. in Computational & Behavioral Neuroscience from Northcentral University; a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley; and completed the Management of Technology Program in chemical engineering and bioengineering (computational biology machine learning and deep learning) from the College of Engineering at University of California, Berkeley.