Joshua Drian is an accomplished litigator and skilled trial attorney based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He helps clients navigate a wide array of complex litigation and white collar issues, especially those at the intersection of criminal and civil law. Josh has extensive experience in high-stakes civil disputes and government and internal investigations involving multiple areas, including the False Claims Act; health care, procurement, and corporate fraud; breach of fiduciary duty; theft of trade secrets; bid rigging; civil RICO; conspiracy; false advertising; antitrust; defamation; business torts; and contract disputes. Josh is also a member of the Firm’s private wealth and fiduciary disputes practice, representing clients in cases involving breach of fiduciary duty and fraud by attorneys, business managers, financial advisors and others.
Josh litigates in federal and state courts throughout the country, in arbitration, and before a variety of government entities. Unlike many attorneys, Josh is practiced in both bringing and defending cases, and knows what it takes to build a case on behalf of a client or to stop one before it ever gets to trial. Josh is experienced in all stages of litigation, having tried cases to verdict and successfully briefed and argued appeals. Notably, Josh has extensive experience in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, known as the “Rocket Docket,” which requires cases to be litigated under compressed timelines pursuant to unique procedures. He also is well-versed in the many issues that may arise during internal and government investigations.
Josh has a demonstrated commitment to pro bono work, representing indigent criminal defendants alongside the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He also led a team bringing civil rights claims for excessive force and other misconduct against state law enforcement agents.
Josh began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Henry Coke Morgan Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before joining Manatt, he worked for an international law firm, where he focused on a combination of complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and government and internal investigations. During law school, Josh was a member of the University of Virginia’s Prosecution Clinic, prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Culpeper, Virginia, and trying numerous cases to verdict.