Last week, Foreign Investment Watch spent some time with a senior CFIUS official, who provided updates on recent staffing changes, and insights into the Committee’s priorities for 2024. According to the official, the first tranche of proposed changes to FIRRMA may come as early as Q1. Details inside.
Hot Topics
Who’s What WhereReissaus and Sucher depart CFIUS; what do the high-profile exits mean?
Though rumored for over a month, we finally got confirmation that Deputy Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Operations Brian Reissaus has left the Treasury Department, as has Senior Advisor and former Deputy Director for Monitoring and Enforcement Jesse Sucher.
Agencies continue to hire for CFIUS experts; a look at latest positions
You can tell a lot by prowling around the job boards, exploring which agencies and third-party monitors are hiring CFIUS experts, and why. It takes some sleuthing, as most government agencies use contractors to fill their open positions. We look at who’s hiring national security experts, and why.
Latham hires a former Treasury official for national security practice
And the CFIUS arms race continues. Global law firms continue to add national security experts at a rapid pace, ensuring they can help clients comply with complex global foreign-investment regimes. The latest move was from Latham & Watkins, which just hired Catherine Hein as counsel. Details inside.
The head of CFIUS “M&E” unit decamps for King & Spalding
J. Philip Ludvigson, who served as the first director of the “Monitoring & Enforcement” unit at CFIUS, has left the Committee to join the Washington, D.C., office of King & Spalding. The move comes shortly after the arrival of Paul Rosen, who is the new Assistant Secretary for Investment Security.
Finally! President Biden nominates Paul Rosen to serve as CFIUS head
It only took 14 months, but Crowell & Moring partner Paul Rosen has been nominated to be the next Assistant Secretary for Investment Security at the Department of Treasury. The role, empty since Thomas Feddo left in Jan. 2021, serves as head of CFIUS. Details, next steps inside.
Acting chief of DoJ’s Foreign Investment Review Section moves on
David Plotinsky, who most recently served as acting chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, has joined the Washington, D.C. office of Morgan Lewis.
The CFIUS arms race continues; firm hires former Treasury counsel
Bridget Reineking, who most recently served in the Treasury Department where she directed the Office of the General Counsel’s national security work, has joined the law firm of Cooley as special counsel in the firm’s CFIUS practice. Details and other similar moves are inside.
Senate confirmation hearing for BIS head underway; why it matters
As we’ve been reporting, the Biden Administration has ramped up the volume of nominations for key positions, and the Senate confirmation process is underway. Inside are details on the Commerce Department’s new BIS leader, and how the role connects to CFIUS.
Biden taps leader for key Treasury terrorism post; still no CFIUS head
As we reported last week, the Biden Administration has been picking up the pace of nominations. This week, he selected a long-time intelligence expert to serve as Assistant Secretary of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury Department. Details inside.
Could latest Biden nominations mean new CFIUS head is coming?
Treasury still has no Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, but the Biden administration has made 40 nominations in the last 30 days, including a key international trade role at Commerce. What do the latest moves mean for CFIUS? Details and insights inside.
Vinson & Elkins reloads CFIUS practice after high-profile exit
The arms race for CFIUS experts continues. Last week, a partner in Wiley Rein’s CFIUS group joined the national security practice at Vinson & Elkins, which had recently lost Damara Chambers to Latham & Watkins. Details, and more recent changes inside.
CFIUS, economic sanctions expert jumps from Cleary to Davis Polk
Experts on CFIUS, OFAC and FinCEN continue to move from one practice to another, as law firms stock up on practitioners who can help companies navigate increasingly complex global security regimes. The latest move is inside, as are other recent “migrations.”
More legal news: Firm launches new National Security practice
Seems like this week is “Foreign Investment Watch: Law Firm Edition.” In addition to the updates above, a global law firm just announced a new National Security, Sanctions, and Export Controls practice to help companies navigate national security matters. Details inside.
Headless CFIUS: We calculate the over/under on Feddo’s successor
As we reported a few weeks ago, Thomas Feddo is no longer the head of CFIUS. So when will we have a new leader? With the majority of key roles at Treasury still vacant, we reached out to nearly 50 experts for their predictions. The over/under on a date is inside.
Experts decipher the impact of Thomas Feddo’s exit from CFIUS
As we reported in a special edition last week, Thomas Feddo, who oversaw CFIUS as Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, has left the Treasury Department. Details, insights from experts, and new contact information for CFIUS interim leadership are inside.
Former CFIUS official jumps from Jones Day to Dorsey & Whitney
Following the hires of high-profile CFIUS experts at Skadden, Kirkland & Ellis, and other firms, Dorsey & Whitney has hired a former Deputy Director in the Treasury office responsible for CFIUS. Details, other recent hires, and contact information are inside.
CFIUS head says enforcement guidelines coming from Treasury
U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Thomas Feddo recently provided insights on CFIUS activities, noting the Committee has cleared transactions totaling nearly $400 billion since FIRRMA was enacted. Inside, we summarize key takeaways, including his comment that formal enforcement guidelines are coming.
Law firm reloads CFIUS practice with Deputy U.S. Trade Rep.
The law firm of Skadden Arps is reloading, after three high-profile CFIUS experts left the law firm last year. This week, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish rejoined the firm in its CFIUS and National Security Group. Details, history, contacts and more are inside.
A look at the CFIUS hiring binge at Treasury, Defense departments
One can tell a lot about the direction of an organization based on positions for which it recruits. Inside, we take a look at open CFIUS-related positions at Treasury and Defense, including their roles, objectives, and unique insights from the posting (hint: it’s international).