Brian is a former federal prosecutor and trial lawyer who represents companies, boards, and individuals in high‑stakes investigations, enforcement matters, and complex civil and criminal litigation. Drawing on two decades of investigative and courtroom experience, Brian advises clients facing public corruption, civil rights, complex fraud, and other sensitive regulatory, financial, and public-integrity matters, guiding them with strategic rigor and steady judgment from investigation through trial and appeal.
Before returning to private practice, Brian served for nearly a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Northern District of California in San Francisco and the Central District of California in Los Angeles, where he most recently served in the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. He led complex, high-profile investigations and prosecutions, working closely with multi-agency teams and trying cases to verdict in matters ranging from public corruption and civil rights violations to complex fraud and manslaughter. His work regularly involved significant pre- and post-trial litigation, sentencing advocacy, and other critical phases of contested criminal proceedings. He also handled briefing and argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During his tenure, he held coordinator roles managing civil rights matters and sensitive third-party litigation issues.
Brian’s work as a federal prosecutor frequently encompassed complex investigations and prosecutions involving exceptional sensitivity and public interest. These included nationally significant prosecutions and investigations arising from a fatal maritime disaster, a sweeping corruption probe involving senior municipal officials at Los Angeles City Hall, law enforcement civil rights violations, a major COVID-19 disaster relief fraud scheme, and a significant offshore oil spill affecting California’s coastline. In addition to courtroom results, he is known for incisive writing, measured advocacy, and the ability to guide complex matters under intense scrutiny.
Earlier in his career, Brian practiced at two other Am Law 100 firms, representing corporate and individual clients in DOJ and SEC enforcement matters, internal investigations (including FCPA-related work), and complex commercial disputes spanning financial, regulatory, governance, and competition issues. In that capacity, he advised clients on litigation and enforcement strategy, risk, and resolution. His work included cross-border and regulatory-sensitive investigations, counseling clients on government engagement and compliance-related exposure, and litigating complex matters through dispositive motion practice and trial, while routinely leading teams, coordinating key workstreams, and managing complex fact development.
Brian earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he was a James Wilson Fellow and served as a senior and associate editor of the Journal of Constitutional Law. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar.