Being an in-house specialist has its perks. But focusing on a particular area of the law can reduce a corporate counsel’s exposure to broader swaths of a company and its leaders, lowering the lawyer’s chances of being promoted to the coveted general counsel seat. 

Intellectual property guru Paul Fehlner might be an exception to that rule. He has stepped up from his post as chief IP officer at Axcella Health Inc. to take over as chief legal officer for the clinical-stage biotech firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fehlner succeeds Heidy Abreu King-Jones, who is now CLO for Provention Bio.