Larry K. Houck provides counsel on regulatory and enforcement actions by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). His career encompasses over 35 years of conducting inspections, investigations and negotiating on behalf of both the government and industry. Mr. Houck focuses on controlled substances, prescription drugs, and regulated chemicals, helping clients navigate federal and state licensing, registration, and compliance issues. His focus is also on marijuana/cannabis regulation, including cannabidiol (“CBD”) and hemp.
Mr. Houck counsels clients throughout the registrant supply chain on administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings. In situations where clients face enforcement action, Mr. Houck has extensive understanding of DEA’s approach and priorities. He advises pharmaceutical and chemical companies, including manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and health care facilities, on DEA inspections and accountability audits. By working with clients to review their business policies and practices, he helps create the infrastructure to ensure compliant reporting, record keeping, and security.
Before joining Hyman, Phelps & McNamara in 2001, Mr. Houck served as a DEA diversion investigator and policy staff coordinator. As a diversion investigator in the Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon, field offices, Mr. Houck conducted a full range of regulatory and criminal investigations and inspections of controlled substance and chemical registrants. While serving as a staff coordinator for the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control’s Liaison and Policy, he advised government officials and pharmaceutical and health care professionals on the Controlled Substance Act (“CSA”) and its regulations. Mr. Houck drafted and helped implement DEA’s controlled substance regulations on diversion control issues that included pain management.