WLIB: Understanding Your Biotech Employment Contract

Darius Kharabi is the Chief Business Officer of Kala Pharmaceuticals. He was co-founder and CEO of Combangio, a clinical stage ophthalmology mesenchymal stem cell secretome company that Kala acquired in November 2021. He is also the co-founder and COO of Lagunita Biosciences, an early-stage medical investment company. He helped to create and served in board and executive leadership positions in multiple Lagunita portfolio companies, including xCella Biosciences, acquired by Ligand, Kedalion Therapeutics, acquired by Novartis, and Combangio. Prior to Lagunita, he served as VP, Corporate Development and International Sales at OrthAlign, a commercial stage orthopedic surgery navigation company, where his responsibilities included the launch of the KneeAlign® total knee arthroplasty navigation product line in the United States and global markets. Mr. Kharabi started his career as a biotechnology licensing attorney at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, PC. He received his BS in Biochemistry from Georgetown University and his JD and MBA degrees from Stanford University.

TBA

Howard Matalon is an equity partner of OlenderFeldman LLP in charge of the firm’s Employment Practices and Litigation Group and co-founder of NAV, a cutting-edge software company combining AI assessment and human coaching to improve career trajectory for mid-level and senior employees. Mr Matalon is an accomplished legal advisor with over 30 years of experience offering precision guidance and cost-effective solutions in Human Capital Management to employers and executives alike in a cutting-edge “360 degree” practice across the United States. He previously developed a proactive approach to employment law challenges based on a sophisticated audit and guidance system called HIRES, which maximizes the enterprise value of the workforce for business clients by managing issues in every stage of the employee life cycle, including hiring, onboarding, retention and termination.Mr Matalon routinely counsels his clients on a wide range of complex employment issues, including hiring practices and business accountability for workplace conditions and adverse employment actions. Mr Matalon received a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). He also coaches select executives in their hiring and separation negotiations. Forbes interviewed Mr Matalon in 2019 on recommended approaches to negotiations of this nature. Mr Matalon utilizes the Leadership and Self Deception principles developed by the Arbinger Institute in every facet of his legal and coaching work.Mr Matalon received his Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University and his J.D. from Boston University Law School. He lives with his wife and four ambitious daughters in Far Hills, New Jersey.

Howard Matalon is an equity partner of OlenderFeldman LLP in charge of the firm’s Employment Practices and Litigation Group and co-founder of NAV, a cutting-edge software company combining AI assessment and human coaching to improve career trajectory for mid-level and senior employees. Mr Matalon is an accomplished legal advisor with over 30 years of experience offering precision guidance and cost-effective solutions in Human Capital Management to employers and executives alike in a cutting-edge “360 degree” practice across the United States. He previously developed a proactive approach to employment law challenges based on a sophisticated audit and guidance system called HIRES, which maximizes the enterprise value of the workforce for business clients by managing issues in every stage of the employee life cycle, including hiring, onboarding, retention and termination.Mr Matalon routinely counsels his clients on a wide range of complex employment issues, including hiring practices and business accountability for workplace conditions and adverse employment actions. Mr Matalon received a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). He also coaches select executives in their hiring and separation negotiations. Forbes interviewed Mr Matalon in 2019 on recommended approaches to negotiations of this nature. Mr Matalon utilizes the Leadership and Self Deception principles developed by the Arbinger Institute in every facet of his legal and coaching work.Mr Matalon received his Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University and his J.D. from Boston University Law School. He lives with his wife and four ambitious daughters in Far Hills, New Jersey.

Dr. Barbara Wirostko, a serial entrepreneur, is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Qlaris Bio, as well as the Co-Founder and Medical Advisor of MyEyes. She is a board-certified glaucoma specialist and Clinical Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, and in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.Previously, Dr. Wirostko served as the Chief Medical Officer of EyeGate Pharmaceuticals after its acquisition of Jade Therapeutics, where she was Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer. At Jade, she led the preclinical and clinical development of the Ocular Bandage Gel (OBG), a unique hyaluronic acid polymer for human use. Under her leadership, Jade secured over $3 million in SBIR funding as Principal Investigator for the OBG polymer from the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation.Prior to Jade, Dr. Wirostko was the Chief Medical Officer of Altheos, a glaucoma startup, and held senior leadership roles at Pfizer, where she oversaw global medical responsibilities for the Xalatan franchise as Senior Medical Director. She led a successful pediatric development program and NDA filing. This was the first Pfizer product to receive a pediatric indication with extended patent protection in the EU.Dr. Wirostko serves on editorial boards, including Ophthalmology Glaucoma and Acta Ophthalmologica, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and books. She is a fellow of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is also an active member of advisory boards, grant review committees, and other professional organizations. She is the 2026 incoming Chair of the ARVO Foundation Board and the first woman chair.Globally recognized for her expertise in exfoliation glaucoma and home tonometry, Dr. Wirostko has been invited to lecture internationally. She earned her MD and completed her residency at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and holds a BA with distinction in Microbiology from Cornell University. She has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah for 2022 by Women We Admire, honored as a PharmaVoice 100 leader, and an invited interviewee for CMO 360, a Fierce franchise. In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Wirostko and her husband, Dr. Joseph Morelli, founded the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation in memory of their eldest son. Established in 2014, the nonprofit supports students with learning challenges, particularly dyslexia. Under her leadership, the foundation has awarded roughly $900,000 in scholarships to hundreds of students across the U.S. Her advocacy work includes a TEDx talk in April 2019, where she shared Joseph’s story. As of Dec 2025, the Foundation was transferred to Montana State University, Joseph’s alma mater, to continue the outreach and create a student success program and scholarship in perpetuity in Joseph’s name. Dr. Wirostko resides in Park City, Utah, with her husband and children, where she enjoys skiing and the outdoors.