Brian Egan

Partner

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Areas of Work

Economic Sanctions, Export Controls, National Security/CFIUS, Anti-Money Laundering

Overview

Brian Egan is a distinguished international lawyer who advises on a range of complex legal issues that affect his US and foreign clients. He partners with clients to address US and multilateral economic sanctions, export controls, anti-money laundering programs, national security investment reviews and other national security matters, cross-border disputes, international cybersecurity and data privacy matters, and issues of public international law. As a former senior legal official with the White House, the National Security Council, and the Department of State and Department of the Treasury under the Obama Administration, he has keen insight into domestic and international legal matters that influence US government national security and foreign relations policies and programs. Brian’s clients benefit from his tremendous understanding of the inner workings of international regulations and interests.

As legal adviser at the Department of State, Brian led the office responsible for advising on all legal issues that impact US foreign relations, including the US government’s international law portfolio. He counseled the secretary of state and other senior US government officials on a wide range of pressing domestic and international legal issues, including foreign sovereign immunities, economic sanctions, resolution of investment disputes, treaty negotiation and interpretation, cybersecurity, and cyber hacking. He also oversaw litigation against the US government before the International Court of Justice and other international tribunals.

Brian has also held prestigious roles at the White House, providing legal advice on a broad range of domestic and international law matters relating to national and homeland security, interacting extensively with senior counsel at every major US government department and agency engaged in national security work, including the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Energy; the Central Intelligence Agency; the Office of the US Trade Representative; the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; the US Agency for International Development; and the US Mission to the United Nations.

Brian regularly appears in public fora to speak on international legal issues, including testifying before Congress, public speaking engagements, and panel presentations.

District of Columbia
California

J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 2000, Order of the Coif; Executive Editor, California Law Review
B.A., Stanford University, 1994

Areas of Work

Speaking Engagements

"Taking Stock of US Relations Post-Election: The View from DC and Hong Kong," AmCham Webinar, November 9, 2020
"Will the Dollar be Disarmed?," National Security Law Today Podcast Episode 94, American Bar Association, September 19, 2019
Keynote Address, "The Benefits of Legal Compliance for Global Companies," West Taihu Global Enterprises Development Forum, Changzhou, China, September 7, 2019
"Tabletop Simulation: Atrocity Prevention Decision-Making in the US Government,” 113th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law, Washington, DC, March 29, 2019
"International Law as a Counterweight to Power Asymmetries in International Politics," 113th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law, Washington, DC, March 28, 2019
"Deep Dive: Staying Compliant with Primary and Secondary Russia Sanctions Restrictions," ACI's 9th Annual New York Forum on Economic Sanctions, New York, NY, December 5, 2018
"Understanding CFIUS Review Process and 'National Security' Concerns: What Every Cross-Border M&A Lawyer Must Know about the CFIUS Review Process and Potential Risks When Representing Non-US Buyers of US Businesses and Assets," The New Engine of Growth in Asia Conference: Investment and Technology, ABA Section of International Law, Seoul, South Korea, October 19, 2018
"Current State of Russia Economic Sanctions," Navigating Russia Sanctions Complexities Seminar, ACI, New York, NY, September 24, 2018
"Test Your Knowledge of Multiple Sanctions Restrictions Under CAATSA," Navigating Russia Sanctions Complexities Seminar, ACI, New York, NY, September 24, 2018
"US National Security Regulation and China: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead," US Investment Opportunities and Challenges in the Trump Era, Lex Mundi Conference, Shanghai, China, September 11, 2018
"Navigating the Trade War: Section 301 Tariffs and Exclusions," US Investment Opportunities and Challenges in the Trump Era, Lex Mundi Conference, Shanghai, China, September 11, 2018
"The Most Common Misunderstandings About the "Specially Designed" Definition: Where Exporters Have Gone Right and Wrong in Determining ITAR," ACI's ITAR Boot Camp, Chicago, June 7, 2018
"Test Your Knowledge of the Multiple Sanctions Restrictions under the CAATSA: What Is and Is Not Compliant in Intra-Corporate Transaction Scenarios," ACI's 11th Annual Advanced Forum on Economic Sanctions Enforcement and Compliance, Washington, DC, April 25, 2018
"The Use of Force in North Korea: The Legal Process," ABA Standing Committee on Law & National Security, Washington, DC, April 24, 2018
"Foreign Investments Control: Towards the Globalization of Protectionism?," ABA Annual Conference of the Section of International Law, New York, NY, April 18, 2018
Keynote Speaker, 2018 National and International Security Law Conference, Duke University School of Law's Center on Law, Ethics and National Security (LENS), Durham, NC, February 23, 2018
"Financial Institutions and National Security," American University Washington College of Law's National Security Law Brief Fall Symposium - Public Private Partnerships: How the National Security Community Interacts with Private Sector, Washington, DC, November 15, 2017
"Inside Recent US Enforcement Actions: What ZTE and Others Reveal About US Sanctions Enforcement," ACI's 3rd Canadian Forum on Economic Sanctions Compliance & Enforcement, Toronto, Canada, October 24, 2017
"Cyberspace: On the Frontier of International Law, Security, and Diplomacy," Temple International & Comparative Law Journal Annual Symposium, Temple University's Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA, October 17, 2017
"Next Steps for Cybersecurity and Financial Stability," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DC, August 24, 2017
"Strengthening Cybersecurity," International Law and the Trump Administration, American Society of International Law, Washington, DC, July 19, 2017
ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security Recordings Podcast, June 22, 2017
"Legitimacy of the Decision-Makers," Institute for Transnational Arbitration's 29th Workshop and Annual Meeting: Challenges to the Legitimacy of International Arbitration, Dallas, TX, June 15, 2017
"Cybersecurity: Global, Regional, and National Context," Jeju Forum for Peace & Prosperity 2017: Sharing a Common Vision for Asia's Future, Seogwipo, South Korea, May 31, 2017

News & Publications

Media Mentions

August 14, 2020

Press Releases

July 22, 2020

Press Releases

July 7, 2020

Client Alerts

May 22, 2020

By: Joel D. Kaufman, Brian Egan, Daniel A. Mullen, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Zachary Simmons, Jacob Nelson (International Trade Assistant)

Media Mentions

October 10, 2019

Press Releases

April 12, 2019

Publications

The Government Contractor

April 10, 2019

By: Brian Egan, Peter Jeydel

Media Mentions

April 2, 2019

Client Alerts

December 21, 2018

By: Stewart A. Baker, Brian Egan, Steven Reed

Media Mentions

November 12, 2018

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Resources

International Law Advisory

October 9, 2020

By: Wendy Wysong, Brian Egan, Edward J. Krauland, Ali Burney, Meredith Rathbone, Nicholas Turner

International Law Advisory

August 25, 2020

By: Alexandra Baj, M. Jeffrey Beatrice, Ali Burney, Brian Egan, Eric C. Emerson, Edward J. Krauland, Michelle L. Levin, Patrick F. Linehan, Meredith Rathbone, Wendy Wysong, Elizabeth (Liz) Laskey LaRocca, Hena Schommer, Nicholas Turner, Dana J. Delott, Anthony Pan, Zachary Simmons, Martin Willner, Jacob Nelson (International Trade Assistant)

International Law Advisory

July 15, 2020

By: Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Darryl Nirenberg, Brian Egan, Nicholas Turner

International Law Advisory

June 1, 2020

By: Ali Burney, Brian Egan, Eric C. Emerson, Edward J. Krauland, Darryl Nirenberg, Susan Munro, Wendy Wysong, Nicholas Turner

International Law Advisory

May 11, 2020

By: Brian Egan, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Daniel A. Mullen, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Ying Huang, Nicholas Turner, Zachary Simmons, Jacob Nelson (International Trade Assistant)

International Law Advisory

April 30, 2020

By: Edward J. Krauland, Brian Egan, Wendy Wysong, Meredith Rathbone, Alexandra Baj, Hena Schommer, Nicholas Turner, Jack R. Hayes, Peter Jeydel

International Law Advisory

February 26, 2020

By: Brian Egan, Peter Jeydel

International Law Advisory

February 13, 2020

By: Brian Egan, Stewart A. Baker, Evan T. Abrams

International Law Advisory

October 2, 2019

By: Brian Egan, Stewart A. Baker, Scott A. Sinder, Evan T. Abrams, Martin Willner

International Law Advisory

February 14, 2019

By: Brian Egan, Edward J. Krauland, Meredith Rathbone, Jack R. Hayes, Peter Jeydel, Evan T. Abrams

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Events

Webinars

October 8, 2020

Speakers: Peter W. Denton, Damon J. Kalt, Brian Egan, Frederick Day (Brookfield Asset Management), Gregory Camet (Entergy), Hadass Kogan (DISH Network)

Webinars

2020

On Demand

May 26, 2020

Speakers: Brian Egan, Daniel A. Mullen, Jeffrey G. Weiss

On Demand

National Security and Foreign Investments into the United States Post-COVID-19

April 17, 2020

Speakers: Brian Egan, Wendy Wysong, Hena Schommer

Noteworthy

Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2018-2020)
Brian has received numerous performance-based awards from US government agencies, including the National Security Council, the departments of State, Treasury, and Justice, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Previous Employment

Legal Adviser, US Department of State (2016-2017)
Deputy Assistant and Deputy Counsel to the President, The White House (2013-2016)
National Security Council, Legal Advisor, The White House (2013-2016)
Assistant General Counsel, US Department of Treasury (2012-2013)
Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to the President, The White House (2011-2012)
National Security Council, Deputy Legal Advisor, The White House (2009-2011)
Attorney-Adviser, US Department of State (2005-2009)

Professional Affiliations

Standing Committee on Law & National Security, American Bar Association
Advisory Board, Just Security
American Law Institute
Department of State Advisory Committee on Public International Law