MLA Places Hope D’Oyley-Gay as Chief Legal Officer at Orna Therapeutics

Hanover, MD (January 30th, 2024) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world's leading legal search firm, has announced the placement of Hope D’Oyley-Gay as chief legal officer at Orna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering circular RNA technology to create in vivo CAR therapies. The search was led by Amy Katz, managing director, and Amy Carlin, director, with MLA’s In House Counsel Recruiting team in Boston.

As Orna’s chief legal officer, Hope will serve as a member of the executive leadership team and the principal legal officer in the company, playing a key role in strategic decision-making and providing operational leadership across a wide array of legal matters. Hope will also lead, manage and mentor the Orna legal team.

“It was an honor to partner with the Orna team on the company’s chief legal officer search, and we are confident that Hope’s exceptional legal and leadership skills will translate to immediate, meaningful impact for Orna as it continues to advance the development of its innovative platform for patient treatment," said Katz.

“Hope’s deep and broad biopharma expertise, along with her dynamism and creativity made her an outstanding candidate, and we are thrilled to see her join the Orna leadership team. We wish Hope and Orna continued success and are excited to watch their progress, " added Carlin.

Hope is an experienced legal leader in the life sciences industry, with an impressive track record. She joins Orna after most recently serving as general counsel of Applied Genetics Technologies Corporation, which was acquired by Syncona Limited. Hope previously served as general counsel of Spirovant Sciences and of counsel with Reed Smith LLP, representing pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in a variety of complex strategic transactions. Prior to this, she was the executive in residence and legal advisor with Militia Hill Ventures, a VC firm focused on the life sciences industry. Hope was with GlaxoSmithKline for nearly 15 years, ultimately serving as vice president and associate general counsel at this leading pharmaceutical company.

Hope earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.S. in economics from the University of Delaware.