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
Federal Agencies Take Sweeping Action on AI in Accordance with AI EO — AI: The Washington Report (Part 1 of 2)
May 2, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about three recently completed actions ordered to take place 180 days after the signing of President Joe Biden’s October 2023 executive order on AI 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.
USPTO Issues Guidance on AI Use to Patent Professionals — AI: The Washington Report
April 22, 2024 | Article | By Terri Shieh-Newton, Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the USPTO’s recent guidance on the use of AI tools by practitioners in connection with matters before the agency 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 Guidance to Federal Agencies on the Use of Artificial Intelligence — AI: The Washington Report
April 9, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the Office of Management and Budget’s memorandum on AI use for federal agencies 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.
AI Provisions in Biden’s FY 2025 Budget Proposal — AI: The Washington Report
March 28, 2024 | Alert | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about AI-related provisions in President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 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.
FTC Chair Khan: “We Need to Choose Competition over National Champions” in the AI Age — AI: The Washington Report
March 21, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about FTC Chair Lina Khan’s remarks on why protecting large firms from certain types of regulation is inappropriate in the AI age and the agency’s current AI-related efforts 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 Deputy Chief Announces “Stiffer Sentences” for AI-Related White-Collar Crime — AI: The Washington Report
March 14, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about a DOJ official’s announcement concerning “stiffer sentences” for AI-related white-collar crime 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 and FTC Weigh in on Alleged Algorithmic Price Fixing — AI: The Washington Report
March 7, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the FTC and DOJ’s joint Statement of Interest in a case concerning alleged algorithmic price fixing by landlords 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.
Proposed FTC Rule Would Hold AI Companies Liable for “Deepfake” Impersonation Scams — AI: The Washington Report
February 29, 2024 | Advisory | By Bruce Sokler, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Alexander Hecht, Raj Gambhir
Read about a proposed FTC rule that would make the impersonation of individuals in a matter affecting commerce a violation of the FTC Act 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.
Federal and State Lawmakers Launch AI Task Forces — AI: The Washington Report
February 22, 2024 | Article | By Daniel Connelly, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Bruce Sokler, Raj Gambhir
Read about AI-focused task forces formed in the House of Representatives and by the governor of Massachusetts 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.
Commerce Department Launches Cross-Sector Consortium on AI Safety — AI: The Washington Report
February 16, 2024 | Article | By Bruce Sokler, Alexander Hecht, Christian Tamotsu Fjeld, Raj Gambhir
Read about the Department of Commerce’s new cross-sector consortium on AI safety 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.