Advises clients on cross border investigations, corporate enforcement actions, white collar criminal defense, and regulatory compliance related to economic sanctions, export controls, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering rules and regulations.
Assists multinational corporations, boards of directors, audit committees and senior executives facing high-profile reputational risks, congressional investigations, and crisis incident response.
Previously served at DOJ for more than a decade; served as the principal National Security Division official overseeing sanctions and export control prosecutions nationally.
Ryan draws upon a multidisciplinary skillset to assist corporations, boards of directors, audit committees and senior executives facing cross-border government investigations and other high-profile reputational risks, often involving U.S. and foreign regulators and enforcement authorities, political stakeholders and the media. He also advises clients on strategic opportunities, governance and compliance best practices, acquisition due diligence and national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
An experienced trial lawyer and formal federal prosecutor, Ryan has successfully litigated and tried several cases to verdict across the country, with the unique ability to handle deeply regulatory matters and seamlessly transition to high profile enforcement actions and voluntary self-disclosures involving the Department of Justice (DOJ) as well as sanctions, export control and anti-money laundering (AML) regulators at the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).
Ryan has developed a Chambers-ranked sanctions and export control practice and has been named to Global Investigations Review’s elite list of the most respected sanctions lawyers in Washington, D.C. The Legal 500 has recognized Ryan for “excel[ing] at leading and conducting investigatory work as a result of the ‘wealth of experience and insights’ he gained in his former position as a DOJ national security prosecutor.” Ryan has also been recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America Guide.
Ryan assists clients from varied industries, including financial services, private equity, technology, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, energy, mining, construction materials, logistics, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
Ryan maintains an active pro bono practice and has extensive experience representing current and former hostages of foreign governments and transnational criminal organizations, as well as the unlawfully detained, with a focus on advocating for victim families, securing release and ensuring long term reintegration.
Prior to private practice, Ryan served for 11 years in the DOJ, where he was a leading prosecutor handling complex cross border investigations and prosecutions affecting the national security and foreign policy of the United States, including espionage, sanctions and embargoes, arms proliferation, trade secret theft, cybercrime, corruption and money laundering. Ryan also served in the National Security Division, where he most recently served as the principal DOJ attorney overseeing sanctions and export control prosecutions nationally. Previously, Ryan was an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago and a Trial Attorney in DOJ’s Civil Frauds Section, where he litigated matters arising under the Federal False Claims Act.
Ryan’s most notable investigations and prosecutions have received prominent national and international media coverage. Several were recognized with the DOJ’s highest awards. In 2010, Ryan was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his role in the prosecution and disruption of a vast international proliferation network responsible for smuggling electrical components from the U.S., which were ultimately used in improvised explosive devices targeting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, Ryan received the Assistant Attorney General Award for Supporting the National Security Mission for his role in the investigation and prosecution of an espionage ring involving corrupt Department of Defense officials. Ryan has received numerous other awards from the DOJ and multiple recognitions from the law enforcement and intelligence communities.
Ryan began his legal career as a federal law clerk in the Central District of Illinois, his home district, prior to being recruited to DOJ through the prestigious Attorney General’s Honors Program.
Representative Work
Represented the board of directors of a multinational company in a high-profile internal investigation into allegations of terrorist financing, sanctions, and money laundering activities that led to enforcement actions in France and before DOJ, the latter concluded with pre-indictment resolution.
Represented a multinational telecommunications company in connection with an investigation and independent review of a legacy legal representation before DOJ’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, which concluded with a pre-indictment resolution and the successful completion of a DOJ imposed monitorship.
Represented a multinational technology company in a congressional investigation and subsequent constitutional litigation challenging novel government-wide debarment and suspension actions.
Represented a multinational luxury goods company in a congressional investigation involving allegations of sanctions violations and related money-laundering activities of third parties.
Represented a non-U.S. CEO under indictment by DOJ for sanctions violations.
Represented a global technology company in an internal investigation and OFAC disclosure related to potential sanctions violations.
Represented a foreign oil and gas company in a DOJ sanctions investigation that resulted in a criminal declination.
Represented a multinational real estate firm in a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) investigation involving allegations of kleptocracy and related money laundering activities.
Represented a major Latin American pharmaceutical company before OFAC in connection with the successful release of several million dollars in blocked funds inadvertently used to pay a supplier in a country subject to U.S. sanctions.
Represented a Pakistan-based bank in connection with a compliance gap assessment and remediation involving mobile to mobile payment technology.
Represented a private equity firm in a due diligence investigation related to potential sanctions violations that resulted in the target company making a disclosure to government authorities.
Represented a U.S. defense contractor in an internal investigation and DDTC disclosure related to cybersecurity and potential export control violations.
Represented an individual under DOJ investigation for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Represented a multinational company before CFIUS in connection with its acquisition of a cutting edge technology start-up.
Prepared cyber and other incident response plans and trained senior executives on cybersecurity best practices, trade secret protections, and trade compliance protocols.
Advised several multinational financial institutions on trade and sanctions compliance, due diligence protocols and best practices related to screening procedures.