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Aimen Mir

Partner | Foreign Investment and National Security | Head of CFIUS Practice

Foreign direct investment and national security | International trade | Regulatory and compliance advisory | Sanctions | Technology |

Aimen’s experience and knowledge, his positive attitude and endless energy made him a valued member of our team, but what made the difference for us were his persistence and constant search for alternative paths to marry the national security interests to a workable business framework.

CEO, Infineon Technologies

Profile details

About Aimen Mir

With more than a decade of experience shaping and implementing US national security and investment policy, Aimen focuses on the national security review of foreign investments conducted by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), US technology transfer and export control policy, and other national security and foreign policy-based regulations of international business transactions.

Aimen is a partner in our Washington office, where he leads the firm’s CFIUS practice and is a core member of the firm’s national security and global foreign investment review practices.  He joined the firm after serving in several leadership roles in CFIUS and the US Department of the Treasury. Most recently, he spent four years as deputy assistant secretary for investment security at the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the senior-most career CFIUS official and implementing Treasury’s role as the chair of CFIUS.

In his leadership roles, Aimen managed CFIUS review and resolution of over 1,000 transactions, with an aggregate value exceeding $1.3tn. He also served as the principal US government liaison with partner governments on foreign investment review issues.

Aimen played a leading role in shaping and negotiating the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA), the most significant expansion of CFIUS’s powers in 30 years. He also shaped key elements of the emerging and foundational technologies provisions of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018.

Aimen also previously served as counsel in the national security division of the US Department of Justice.

Aimen started his career in the Washington, DC office of another law firm where he advised and represented companies in regulatory compliance, investigations, and enforcement matters under export control, economic sanctions, trade remedy, and other laws regulating international business transactions.

Recent work

  • Co-ordinated review, consensus, and final action by and among the nine CFIUS member agencies in over 1,000 transactions across all sectors of the economy, with an aggregate value exceeding $1.3tn.
  • Co-ordinated US government action on the only four transactions blocked by the President in the last 25 years.
  • Negotiated or supervised the negotiation of over 100 national security risk mitigation agreements with parties to transactions ranging from $50bn acquisitions of Fortune 500 companies to minority investments in cutting-edge startup companies.
  • Oversaw development and implementation of CFIUS’s approach to dealing with Chinese investment and played an active role in White House-led initiatives in the current and last administrations to assess and formulate a strategy to address US government concerns related to Chinese acquisition of US technology.

Cross-border CFIUS

Qualifications

Qualifications

  • JD, Georgetown University Law Center
    • Managing Editor of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal
  • MS, Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service
  • BS, Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service

Professional

  • Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, US Department of the Treasury (2014-2018)
  • Counsel, Office of Law and Policy, National Security Division, US Department of Justice (2014)
  • Director, Office of Investment Security, US Department of the Treasury (2009-2013)
  • Private practice in Washington, DC (2001-2007)

Awards and Client Quotes 

  • "His profound knowledge on CFIUS and the stakeholders involved in the CFIUS process is invaluable” - Chambers USA
  • "He is exactly what you would hope for in outside counsel.” - Chambers USA 
  • “Responsive, engaged, informed, and provides balanced advice but with a clear point of view.” - Chambers USA
  •  Recognized among leading global CFIUS experts - Top Advisors 2021 - 2023 - Foreign Investment Watch 
  • "Aimen Mir is held in high esteem by sources, who applaud him for his 'deep FDI expertise,' as well as for his 'personable and knowledgeable approach'" - Who's Who Legal - Foreign Investment Thought Leaders
  • Secretary of the Treasury’s Exceptional Service Award (January 2018 and January 2014) - US Department of the Treasury
  • Secretary of the Treasury’s Distinguished Service Award (November 2016) - US Department of the Treasury