In an interview with Law360, McGuireWoods’ Ryan Buchanan discussed his new role as managing partner of the firm’s Atlanta office and why he returned to McGuireWoods after a distinguished career in government service.
Buchanan returned to McGuireWoods in March 2025 after spending 15 years with the U.S. Justice Department – the last three as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
In Law360’s July 18, 2025, story, Buchanan said he enjoyed some similarities between running the U.S. attorney’s office in Atlanta and leading McGuireWoods’ office in the city. As U.S. attorney, he said, his job required “close engagement with the community stakeholders, law enforcement agencies and community groups and understanding exactly what those entities need.”
“That is no different from private practice,” Buchanan added. “My goal is to meet and understand our current clients, talk with other institutions, other entities about what their needs might be and then match up their needs with the capabilities of the firm with my capabilities as a lawyer and help them achieve whatever their goals might be.”
Buchanan noted the Atlanta office is well-equipped to serve Atlanta’s bustling financial, fintech and transportation industries, among others, adding that the firm’s attorneys across its 21 offices work seamlessly. He also highlighted the firm’s Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation Practice Group, which boasts more than 100 attorneys.
“We’ve handled some of the most significant investigations and criminal matters over the past decade or so,” Buchanan said. “I think it’s a benefit to bring that experience, that level of expertise and that perspective to our clients here in Atlanta, which many have operations all over the country and all over the world, so it makes sense to plug them in here and connect them to our resources all throughout the firm.”