Advises alcohol beverage clients on regulatory, commercial, and compliance matters

Counsels on M&A for companies buying, selling, and investing across the beverage industry

Handles audits, investigations, arbitration, and litigation tied to alcohol beverage regulatory issues

Guides legal strategy for delivery services, new beverage collaborations, and e-commerce in the alcohol sector

Defends clients across industry sectors in privacy-related litigation and regulatory investigations including involving data breaches, website tracking, ambient recording and biometric data 

Counsels clients on data privacy, cybersecurity, and compliance matters across the full data lifecycle, providing a litigator’s perspective on compliance and incident response 

Assists clients with privacy and cybersecurity due diligence in corporate transactions and private equity investments 

Counsels clients on privacy risks raised by artificial intelligence (AI) tools and ambient recording technologies and defends them in related litigations

Ryan Tisch is the global head of McDermott’s Antitrust Group. He provides strategic antitrust counsel for boards of directors, chief executive officers, and key business stakeholders as they maneuver government regulations around the world.

Ryan is known for securing approvals for significant mergers facing review in multiple jurisdictions, including some of the largest mergers in the communications, manufacturing, technology, and food and beverage industries. As the digital economy exposes traditional businesses to new competition, clients also turn to Ryan to advise on their evolving business platforms and go-to-market strategies.

Throughout his global practice, Ryan handles matters extensively before the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and manages substantive merger review matters before the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority, the Competition Tribunal of South Africa, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, among other international authorities. Ryan has a proven track record of leading merger matters from the auction process to a successful resolution, including through trial.

In addition to his deal work, Ryan helps clients mitigate risk on a day-to-day basis. He advises on complex operational issues such as joint venture agreements, trade association activities, standard setting and data exchange. Ryan has particular experience navigating clients’ vertical relationships and distribution systems, and managing antitrust issues associated with resale price maintenance, price discrimination and loyalty incentives.

Brian J. Tiemann counsels public and private companies on a broad range of employee benefit matters, including matters related to pension plans, 401(k) plans and executive and incentive compensation. He advises plan fiduciaries with respect to their fiduciary duties, investment policies and alternative investments. He also advises multinational clients on global employee benefits matters, particularly with respect to global incentive compensation plans. Brian has extensive experience negotiating investment management agreements and service provider agreements.

Brian regularly advises clients on prohibited transaction issues and has successfully obtained prohibited transaction exemptions from the US Department of Labor on behalf of multiple clients. His experience includes advising on compliance with statutory and class prohibited transaction exemptions, as well as on captive reinsurance arrangements.

He represents clients in negotiations before the Internal Revenue Service and the US Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, including in connection with plan audits. He has assisted clients with internal compliance reviews, voluntary correction filings under the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) and applications for determination letters on tax qualification.

Brian is a frequent author and speaker on employee benefits issues related to the investment of tax-qualified plan assets and issues resulting from domestic partnerships and same-sex marriages. Brian has presented at the Association for Financial Professionals’ annual conferences, the New York University Institute on Federal Taxation and the Out & Equal Workplace Summit.

Brian serves on the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the Recruiting Committee, and co-heads the Firm’s summer associate programs for the Chicago office.

Advises companies on cybersecurity incident response, including ransomware attacks, data breaches, fund transfer fraud, and business email compromise

Represents clients in data security and privacy litigation and regulatory investigations

Counsels publicly traded companies on SEC cybersecurity disclosure requirements, including Form 10-K and Form 8-K filings

Leverages a background in computer programming and IT analysis to advise on data security, privacy, AI, and computer forensic investigations

Laura McLane co-leads McDermott’s white-collar and government investigations practice as well as the Firm’s False Claims Act (FCA) practice, and is a nationally renowned FCA litigator. For over 25 years, Laura has defended companies touching all aspects of the healthcare and life sciences industries in government investigations, qui tam litigation under the FCA, and related matters. Clients call Laura “an exquisite lawyer, very smart and incisive,” a “fierce advocate for her clients,” and “simply a brilliant attorney with a tremendous ability to navigate difficult circumstances.” (Chambers USA). Laura was named Boston’s Lawyer of Year in Healthcare Litigation by Best Lawyers in America for 2025-2026.

Laura’s experience spans the spectrum of government oversight in healthcare and life sciences. Her clients include healthcare providers of all types as well as laboratories, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, private equity investors, and an array of other entities that reach the healthcare space. Laura represents clients in FCA matters throughout the country, as well as in federal courts of appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. She has extensively litigated the myriad issues that typically arise in FCA cases, including representing her client in the landmark Escobar case in the Supreme Court. Clients state that Laura is “fantastic, . . . efficient and able to pull in knowledgeable resources right to the issue” (Legal 500 US) and “Laura is clearly a leader in the FCA space.” (Chambers USA). In addition to her healthcare experience, Laura defends clients facing FCA and other forms of government scrutiny in other industries, such as defense contracting and technology.

Beyond defending clients in investigations and litigation, Laura’s practice includes working closely with clients on FCA risk management and compliance assessments, and counseling buyers and sellers in transactions involving enforcement issues.