Leads the firm’s CFIUS practice.
Advises clients on international trade and national security law and policy, including foreign investment, export controls, sanctions and ICTS/supply chain regulations.
Represents clients across sectors, including investment funds, technology, aerospace & defense and energy & infrastructure, among others.
Christian leads Akin’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) practice. He advises clients on existing and emerging international trade and national security laws and policy affecting activities and transactions around the world, including on foreign investment, export controls, economic sanctions and Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS)/supply chain issues.
Christian represents global clients across sectors and navigates them through CFIUS risks at every stage of a transaction. He represents clients in the merger, acquisition and divestiture process before CFIUS and advises them in negotiating and implementing CFIUS mitigation agreements. Christian also counsels clients in developing and administering international trade compliance programs and conducting internal investigations.
Christian advises clients in a wide variety of industries, including:
Aerospace
Defense
Technology
Investment funds
Sovereign wealth
Engineering
Nuclear power
Oil & gas
Energy & infrastructure
Renewable energy.
He has also advised sovereign entities in the formation of law and policy.
Representative Work
Advising clients in the technology, energy, aerospace, defense and investment funds sectors regarding the CFIUS review process, including negotiating and implementing mitigation agreements to obtain CFIUS clearance.
Advising clients in connection with actions and risks associated with the ICTS Supply Chain Regulations and associated executive actions, including responding to subpoenas, Commerce determinations and other U.S. government outreach.
Counseled a large aerospace defense contractor in developing a comprehensive export and import compliance program covering its global supply chain, international customer base, aftermarket support services, human resources policy, information technology (IT) system and merger & acquisition (M&A) activities. This engagement included providing extensive on-site support to the client and working closely with in-house counsel and internal and external business personnel.
Leading internal investigations for various clients, including drafting and submitting disclosures regarding violations of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Regulations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR).
Analyzing the commodity jurisdiction and classification of various items for clients, including drafting and submitting Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) requests to the Department of State. These engagements have involved negotiating with various federal agencies.
Assisting clients in obtaining authorization for the export of commodities and technologies related to nuclear power plants that are subject to export controls administered by the Department of Energy (Part 810) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Part 110).
Drafting and submitting various license applications for clients, including OFAC licenses, ITAR agreements and Commerce licenses.
Counseling a sovereign entity in the development of regulations pertaining to the nuclear industry and the negotiation of nuclear cooperation agreements.