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Patrick Bryan

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About

Patrick Bryan is an experienced trial attorney and a leading authority in the financial services and enforcement sector. Over the last nine years, he has served in senior roles for three principal regulators, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the Federal Reserve and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As the Director of the Division of Enforcement and Investigations at the PCAOB, Patrick provided executive leadership and oversight of the agency's enforcement program. He designed and led division-wide transformation of PCAOB investigative functions; led the design and implementation of division-wide strategic initiatives; and led several first of their kind enforcement actions, including imposing one of the largest civil money penalties in a settled action for supervisory failures and use of confidential PCAOB inspection information. He also regularly coordinated parallel investigations with the SEC's Division of Enforcement and international audit regulators.

In his past experience at the Federal Reserve, he served as the Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement overseeing all enforcement functions of the Federal Reserve System. Patrick's responsibilities included approving and overseeing enforcement investigations and litigation against Board-supervised institutions and individuals. He also oversaw the general management of the Board's enforcement function, including training and overall promotion of the organization's goals and objectives. During his tenure, Patrick regularly coordinated enforcement activities and regularly teamed with internal Board stakeholders, such the Division of Supervision and Regulation, as well as external law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the SEC. Patrick also regularly collaborated with other banking and consumer protection agencies, such as the CFPB, OCC, FDIC, and New York Department of Financial Services.

At the SEC, Patrick served in senior roles in the Trial Unit of the Division of Enforcement. As Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, Patrick investigated violations of the anti-bribery and anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and served as first-chair trial counsel. His trial experience, including jury and administrative trials, encompassed cases alleging fraud in connection with the sale of securities to foreign investors, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and accounting fraud by a company's Chief Accounting Officer. As Supervisory Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, Patrick managed senior trial attorneys and investigatory staff in the investigation and prosecution of a variety of enforcement matters, including insider trading, market manipulation, offering fraud and other matters.  In addition, Patrick served as a senior litigation advisor to the Division of Enforcement's Market Abuse and FCPA specialized investigatory units, and routinely coordinated complex investigations with law enforcement partners such as the DOJ and FBI.

Bar admissionsDistrict of Columbia
Education
  • J.D., Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law
    magna cum laude
  • B.A., Loyola University of Chicago
    magna cum laude

Publications and media

Prior Experience

  • Director, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Division of Enforcement and Investigations, Washington, DC, January 2020-September 2022
  • Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC, 2015-2020
  • Supervisory Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, Washington, DC, 2014-2015
    Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, 2013-2014

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