Christian is based in our Washington, DC office and is a Senior Vice President of ML Strategies. He assists a variety of clients in their interactions with the federal government.
Prior to joining ML Strategies, Christian spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, the last 10 of which he served as Senior Counsel and Subcommittee Staff Director on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In so doing, he served under the current Chair, Senator Maria Cantwell (D – WA), as well as former Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and former Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL). In this capacity, his work focused on a broad range of issues, including consumer protection, privacy and data security, cybersecurity, automobile and highway safety, product safety, sports, manufacturing, exports, and trade, while regularly interacting with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Department of Commerce.
Earlier, Christian held senior staff and advisory roles with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy & Commerce, where he worked on matters related to the FTC, NHTSA, CPSC, Department of Commerce, and the EPA.
Christian also previously served as a Senior Legislative Assistant to former Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and to former US Representative Bill Luther (D-MN), advising each on Energy & Commerce Committee issues.
viewpoints
House Select Committee Publishes Report on DeepSeek, as Commerce Imposes New AI Chip Export Restrictions — AI: The Washington Report
April 24, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
In this week’s AI: The Washington Report, we unpick the details of the House Select Committee’s findings and analyze the restrictions places on Nvidia’s chip exports.
Commerce Department Investigates National Security of Semiconductors, and US Attorney Indicts AI CEO for Fraud — AI: The Washington Report
April 18, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about recent federal activity surrounding semiconductor imports, AI export controls, and the first AI-related fraud prosecution under the new administration in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
OMB Issues New Guidance for the Federal Government’s Use of AI, and President Trump Signs EO for AI Data Centers — AI: The Washington Report
April 11, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about the new OMB memoranda and Executive Order, and their implications for federal AI policy and infrastructure development in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
DOJ Reaffirms Stance on Algorithmic Price Fixing, While Federal Judge Dismisses Price Fixing Complaint Against Software Company — AI: The Washington Report
April 4, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about the DOJ’s latest filing, the implications of the recent court dismissal, and what these developments suggest about the evolving legal landscape for algorithmic pricing in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
DC Circuit Court Rules AI Cannot be Author of Copyrighted Work, and NIST Finalizes AI Report — AI: The Washington Report
March 28, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about DC Circuit’s reinforcement of the human authorship requirement under US copyright law and the NIST’s newly finalized guidance on mitigating adversarial attacks targeting AI systems in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Congress Holds Hearing on Energy and AI Data Centers — AI: The Washington Report
March 7, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about a March 5 hearing held by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Energy that featured testimony from experts about the growing demand for energy in the US, which they attributed partly to the rise in AI data centers.
Senate Passes AI Deepfake Bill, as Congress Considers AI Legislation — AI: The Washington Report
February 27, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about the 13 bills that have already been introduced in the 119th Congress in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
Vice President Vance Delivers Remarks at AI Summit, Overviews AI Priorities — AI: The Washington Report
February 20, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about Vice President JD Vance’s remarks at the AI Action Summit in Paris, France, on February 11, which focused on priorities for the Trump administration’s approach to AI, including ensuring that American AI technology is the gold standard globally and avoiding excessive AI regulations.
Trump Administration Seeks Public Comments for AI Action Plan — AI: The Washington Report
February 12, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about a Request for Information (RFI) published by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which seeks public comments on the development of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan.
DeepSeek’s Rise Creates Urgency and Uncertainty for President Trump’s AI Agenda — AI: The Washington Report
January 30, 2025 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Matthew Tikhonovsky
Read about DeepSeek’s breakthrough and its potential impact on US AI policy in the latest edition of AI: The Washington Report, a joint undertaking of Mintz and ML Strategies covering potential federal legislative, executive, and regulatory activities related to AI.
News & Press
JD Supra has recognized ten Mintz attorneys in its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards recognize attorneys and firms whose articles on the JD Supra platform were most read by C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, and other professionals during 2024.
Privacy Implications of the Facebook Whistleblower Testimony
October 19, 2021
Cyber Standards for Connected Devices Leverage Federal Purchases
January 5, 2021
How The Election Could Reshape The Telecom Industry
November 2, 2020
Myriad Section 230 Bills Show Agreement Still Out Of Reach
October 19, 2020
Special Report: The Mask Middlemen - How Pop-Up Brokers Seek Big Paydays in a Frenzied Market
April 1, 2020
The Impact of AI: Bay Area Experts Discuss the Meaning of Artificial Intelligence and How it Will Affect the Economy and Society
January 24, 2020
Events & Speaking
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Managing the Privacy & Cybersecurity Risks
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Health Care & Cybersecurity: A Powerful Combination
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Recognition & Awards
JD Supra Readers’ Choice Award, Top Author – Artificial Intelligence, 2025
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