As the biotech hunkers down to defend itself against charges of off-label marketing and violating patient privacy, a growing number of lawyers have been retained to help with the defense. And Amgen needs help. Not only are the charges contained in complaints filed by former sales reps, who argue they suffered retaliation for complaining about these activities, but the New Jersey Attorney General has issued a subpoena and the US Senate Finance Committee is eyeing the affair as well.

And so Amgen has hired teams of lawyers from two prominent firms. From McGuireWoods in Chicago, the biotech has Joel Spitz, Rodney Satterwhite and Peter Milianti, all of whom specialize in various employment matters.

And from the Gibbons law firm in Newark, New Jersey, which is known for defending drugmakers, Amgen has yet another team in place - Kelly Bird (pictured to the right) and Tom McKinney, employment lawyers; Mike Griffinger, who heads the commercial litigation practice; and Larry Lustberg, who will deal specifically with the NJ AG’s subpoena.

We’ve written each of the attorneys seeking comment about their strategies and plans if still more former Amgen reps come forward, which may be in the cards, according to Lydia Cotz, who represents the two former Amgen reps. So far, though, only Bird and Milianti wrote back to decline comment.