The filing does not name a successor. Moderna says it is searching for a new Chief Legal Officer while Klinger assists with the transition and with ongoing litigation. The filing also does not say whether the company will use the earlier-end-date provision, so her final day remains open. The board sets the corporate performance factor that determines her bonus, and the filing does not describe how that factor will be applied to her 2026 award.
Klinger has led Moderna's legal function since June 2021, overseeing corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation, compliance, privacy, ESG strategy, and global security. She previously spent 2008 to 2021 at Novartis, most recently as Chief Legal Officer and a member of its Executive Committee, and was earlier a partner at Alston & Bird. For litigators and IP counsel, the timing matters. Moderna is in active patent disputes with Pfizer and BioNTech and with Arbutus and Genevant, and her compensation is linked to the outcomes of those cases. Watch for who takes over the litigation portfolio and whether the company changes course in those matters. The stakes are high: Moderna's stock has risen 827% over the past year to a market capitalization of $90.3 billion, although shares fell 9% this past week.