Having relied on entrepreneurial pursuits — such as freelance writing, personal training, and launching music and fitness websites — to fund his undergraduate and law school education, Brian is familiar with the passion and dedication clients bring to their businesses. These experiences have also helped Brian understand the challenges clients face, particularly those related to the concerns of online business and content production, such as intellectual property management and efficient resolution of challenges in fast-paced industries and injunction settings.
Brian was a summer associate at Reed Smith in 2013; his current practice involves commercial and financial services litigation, class actions, defamation, state and federal appeals, and intellectual property protection. In many cases, Brian has assisted clients in achieving summary dismissals or negotiating settlements to avoid burdensome and expensive litigation. He has extensive drafting experience in state and federal court on issues such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection statues, defamation, contract disputes, and RICO claims. In the appellate sphere, Brian has assisted in drafting briefs leading to successful decisions in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Brian has also prevailed in oral arguments and as second-chair at trial representing multinational corporations in state and federal courts, and remains active in pro bono matters. In addition, Brian has developed a practice assisting clients in responding to government subpoena and addressing potential privilege issues in large- and small-scale electronic discovery contexts. He is also a regular contributor to the Technology Law Dispatch, and is frequently published on JD Supra, Lexology, and Law360.
While at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Brian worked for the N.C. Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center; the UNC Center for Law, Environment, Adaptation and Resources; was a board member of the Carolina Intellectual Property Law Association; and was active in the UNC Sports and Entertainment Law Association. Brian is zealous about addressing the needs of others through creative solutions and persuasive arguments, as demonstrated by his commitment to pro bono work each year of law school, including during his bar preparation summer, focusing mainly on domestic violence and women's issues.