Bryan Ward is a litigator focused on financial services and complex business disputes. He serves his clients with sound judgment, effective advocacy, and efficient case-management.

An experienced attorney who has been practicing since 2001, Bryan represents broker-dealers, investment advisers, insurance companies, banks, accountants, and other corporate and individual clients in securities, professional liability, regulatory, and complex business litigation. He represents clients in state and federal courts and before regulators and self-regulatory organizations such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), where he has defended hundreds of arbitrations.

Bryan defends claims arising from transactions in investment vehicles, including stocks, options, variable products, bonds, mutual funds, private placements, derivatives and auction rate securities. He defends banks in actions arising from the sale of debt and equity derivative products. He represents broker-dealers and insurance companies involved in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions. He defends accountants in professional liability actions.

Bryan began his legal career at the Palo Alto office of Morrison & Foerster LLP. He then left for Atlanta, where he spent thirteen years at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland), including six years as a partner, co-leading the office’s broker-dealer litigation group before leaving to found Holcomb + Ward.

Bryan has walked 450 miles across Spain, spent nine months independently hiking in South America, and camped extensively in the United States, Australia, and India.

Professional and Community Involvement Includes:

• Arbitrator, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
• Former Board Member, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
• Led program that received State Bar of Georgia Commendation for handling scores of cases on behalf of pro bono clients seeking to enforce attorney fee arbitration awards
• Led representation that garnered 2014 Pro Bono Award by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
• Represented, pro bono, 46 Indian workers in human trafficking matter recognized by The American Lawyer as 2015’s “Global Pro Bono Dispute of the Year”

Education:

• JD, cum laude, New York University School of Law
• BA, cum laude, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bar Admissions:

• Georgia
• Florida
• California

Court Admissions Include:

• Georgia Supreme Court
• Florida Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Publications:

• “PIABA Trolls The Fiduciary Duty Debate,” Law360 (April 7, 2015)
• “How to Comply with FINRA’s New Expungement Rule,” Compliance Intelligence (August 7, 2014)
• “Everybody out of the (Public Arbitrator) Pool,” Law360 (July 3, 2014)
• “FINRA’s Updated Arbitrator’s Guide Introduces Significant Changes to Expungement and Discovery Procedures,” Securities Arbitration Commentator (May 14, 2014)
• “Expungement Is Difficult — Don’t Make It Worse,” Law360 (October 22, 2013)
• “A Guide to the ‘Regulatory No Man’s Land’ of Over-the-Counter Interest Rate Swaps,” The Banking Law Journal (May 2007)

Honors and Awards Include:

• Charles T. Lester Pro Bono Award
• Robert McKay Scholar
• Morehead Scholar