Attorney-Client Privilege and Generative AI: The Federal Split, New Federal Rules Amendments, and Defensible Review Workflows

Bryan earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2002, following a B.A. with honors from the University of Wisconsin in 1998. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Bryan's thought leadership on the intersection of generative AI and antitrust compliance has drawn industry recognition, including coverage in Lighthouse and JD Supra in June 2025 for his discussion of how AI is reshaping antitrust compliance practices.

Bryan is a regular contributor to Arnold & Porter's eData Edge: Navigating the Everchanging World of eDiscovery blog, where he has authored and co-authored a series of practitioner-focused pieces on the use of artificial intelligence and technology-assisted review in document discovery. His recent perspectives include "Generative AI for Privilege Review: Impressions and Considerations" (April 2026), "Ensuring a Secure 'Hold': Balancing Practicality and Privilege in Litigation Hold Notices" (March 2025), and "What's Old is New Again: Why Document Review Protocols and Custodian Interviews Still Matter in AI-Driven eDiscovery" (March 2025).

Bryan's transactional experience includes representing Onex in connection with the sale of ASM Global to Legends; Pfizer in its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen Inc.; AT&T Inc. in its $85.4 billion stock-and-cash acquisition of Time Warner Inc., which was approved with no finding of liability after a Second Request and the first vertical merger trial and appeal in decades; General Electric in the $11 billion merger of Wabtec and GE Transportation, permitted to proceed without remedy after a Second Request investigation; Monsanto in its $66 billion acquisition by Bayer, which closed after a 20-month DOJ investigation involving what the DOJ characterized as "the largest negotiated merger divestiture ever required by the United States"; Komatsu Ltd. in its approximately $2.9 billion acquisition of Joy Global; Emanuel Medical Center in its sale to Tenet Healthcare; PepsiCo in its $7.8 billion acquisition of Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas; Boston Scientific in its $27 billion acquisition of Guidant; and NBC in its $5.2 billion acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment. His investigations and litigation experience includes representing AT&T/Time Warner and other companies in litigated merger challenges against the DOJ and FTC, multiple pharmaceutical companies in FTC and state attorney general investigations involving HatchWaxman patent litigation settlements and lifecycle management practices, a global pharmaceutical company in defense of antitrust class actions where he defeated indirect purchaser class certification, and an auto parts maker in an FTC investigation that closed without action.

Nick earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Environmental Law Journal, following a B.A. cum laude from Davidson College. He is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and the Virginia Bar, and to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Fourth Circuit, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia.

Nick was named a "Recommended Lawyer" in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense by The Legal 500 US in 2019, and he received the 2015 Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing. He serves as Treasurer of the William B. Bryant American Inn of Court and has served as a Board Member and Past President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington from 2017 to the present.

Nick is a member of the Federal Bar Association's Qui Tam Section and the American Bar Association's White Collar Crime Committee within the Business Law Section. He regularly publishes articles and speaks at conferences, podcasts, and webinars on the False Claims Act, government enforcement, and emerging compliance issues. His recent contributions include the Wiley Government Contracts podcast episode "Under the Microscope: Navigating Congressional Oversight and Investigations" (April 2026), the ACC NCR program "The Changing Face of the FCA" (April 2026), and the client alert "EO 14398 Imposes New DEIRelated Contract Clauses, Audit Rights, and FCA Risks for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors" (April 2026).

Before private practice, Nick served as a Special Agent (Hazardous Materials Specialist) with the Federal Aviation Administration from 2002 to 2004, and as a Civil Aviation Security Specialist and Special Agent with the Transportation Security Administration in 2002. His litigation experience includes defending a facility operations and maintenance company in litigation involving alleged False Claims Act violations arising from small business set-aside contracts; representing a defense contractor in litigation involving alleged FCA, civil RICO, and human trafficking violations in Afghanistan and Kuwait; defending a major defense contractor in FCA litigation arising from the death of an employee during a training exercise; representing an IT company in FCA and retaliation litigation brought by a former employee; defending a translation and interpretation contractor in a putative class action involving the Defense Base Act and Americans with Disabilities Act; and representing pesticide companies in litigation challenging regulatory findings by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His investigations and enforcement experience includes representing a nuclear facility operator in parallel criminal and civil investigations involving whistleblower allegations of timekeeping fraud; conducting an internal investigation for a defense contractor involving allegations of bribery, kickbacks, and potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations in Kuwait; representing a defense contractor in a military investigation and related court-martial proceedings; representing an IT company in Defense Contract Audit Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency audits; representing a defense contractor in a Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigation concerning a U.S. government contract in Europe; conducting an internal investigation for a major nonprofit in response to whistleblower allegations involving federal and state grants; representing the COO of a global logistics company in parallel criminal and civil investigations involving alleged Transportation Security Administration violations; and representing multiple consumer product retailers in Federal Aviation Administration enforcement actions involving hazardous materials regulations.