ALVIN L. GOTTLIEB

Al Gottlieb in the 1960's was the perfect attorney for FDA's General Counsel. As an FDA technical officer I had the pleasure to work with Al on several difficult cases, and maintained close touch with Al for many years. A true professional and a good friend.

I was a member of the OGC from 1976 to 1970. Nearly 40 years later, I still vividly recall my interactions with Al, and savor his influence over my professional development. Once, when I expressed concerns about our case based on a comment by the AUSA, he looked at me and said: "Why would you listen to him -- he doesn't know any more than a cockroach!" With Al, there was no wavering on who we were there to serve. His lessons will live on for generations.

I am among a couple of generations of FDA lawyers for whom Al Gottlieb was my boss, my teacher, my mentor and my inspiration of why FDA mattered, who we were supposed to protect and how we were to present FDA cases. Once, when I was mentioning (whining) that none of my cases seemed to be without messy complications, Al retorted: "Well, Bubbe, if this was easy, we wouldn't need you. Of course your cases are complicated, those are the situations that become cases." His knowledge, his...