Adrian is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Government & Regulatory Affairs and Litigation Practice Groups. He has over a decade of experience in all three branches of government, as a litigator, and as a corporate counsel to a Fortune 10 technology company. His practice focuses on government and regulatory challenges, complex litigation, and emerging industries such as cloud computing and cannabis.

Adrian believes in partnering with his clients and diving deep to understand their businesses, goals and legal needs.

With a bias for action, he delivers maximum value through innovative and efficient solutions. Adrian helps clients see around corners to protect their business and maximize opportunities.

Adrian’s leading experience is in litigation, the legislative process, political strategy, and policy development and analysis. He counsels clients on how to work with the federal government, primarily congress and the executive branch. Adrian focuses on appropriations, emerging technology, homeland security, military and veterans’ affairs, privacy policy, and cannabis banking and reform.

He also advises clients on and litigates complex business and contract disputes, conflicts with foreign sovereigns, white collar defense, and national security matters. Adrian’s experience includes work in federal and state civil and criminal trials, domestic and international arbitrations, and mediations. He was part of the trial team that claimed victories over Guatemala and Iraq in both international and domestic fora. Adrian has represented a wide array of clients from government contractors to former CIA station chiefs.

Policy strategy and advocacy
Adrian served as counsel and foreign policy advisor to U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), holding a Top Secret clearance. He handled portions of the Senator’s Appropriations and Banking committee assignments. Adrian also served as the Personal Representative of the Member (PRM) to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as Senator Merkley’s Military Legislative Assistant, handling all military and national security issues for the office. In that role, Adrian traveled extensively with Senator Merkley as part of international congressional delegations to conduct oversight of international programs and engage diplomatically with foreign governments. His portfolio also included cannabis banking and reform, privacy, civil rights, criminal justice, veterans, immigration, campaign finance, and international sanctions.

Adrian had a proven track record of drafting important legislation, building bipartisan, bicameral coalitions, and passing legislation through the Senate. In his time with Sen. Merkley, Adrian helped draft the Senate Democrats’ marquee civil rights legislation—the Equality Act of 2015. Adrian was principally responsible for drafting the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015, SAFE Banking Act of 2017, and several cannabis-related appropriations amendments. He also founded the Senate Staff Working Group on Cannabis Reform and worked with federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Justice Department to sway policy.

Adrian serves as a lecturer at The University of Texas System’s Archer Center, which brings students from across the System to Washington for courses and internships. Adrian teaches a section on Congress and the legislative process.

Adrian was the lead counsel reviewing and editing several congressional amicus briefs that Sen. Merkley led. These include Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, arguing that LGBTQ status is included under the definition of “sex” in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and The New York Times Company v. United States Department of Justice in the Second Circuit, arguing for release under the Freedom of Information Act of a number of Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel memoranda related to targeted drone strikes, including one that involved strikes against American citizens.

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