Alexandra Yestrumskas has left CFIUS. A former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, Yestrumskas was well liked and respected by transaction parties. Her departure raises the question of whether additional turnover is expected. Experts say it’s likely, but not a cause for concern.
CFIUS experts are on the move again. Some of this is expected as long-time government officials decamp for the private sector. But others represent firm-to-firm movement as the CFIUS arms race heats up. Inside is an update from Covington, Dechert, Wilson Sonsini, Holland & Knight, Davis Polk, and others.
Since we haven’t been able to find any hard data on potential nominees for the next Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, we did the next best thing: We asked GenAI. The results were surprising, with a host of interesting candidates based on criteria the models say the President Trump would himself use.
Well that didn’t take long. As many readers have already heard, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security Paul Rosen has decamped for Latham & Watkins, where he’ll focus on CFIUS matters, outbound reviews and more. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Rosen.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.