Lawrence Ward

Foreign Investment

Buy Side Representations

• Represented Manara Minerals in a deal to acquire 10% of Vale Base Metals Limited, the holding entity of Vale SA’s energy transition metals business.
  
• Represented a German buyer in connection with its acquisition of a U.S. oil and gas technology company. 
  
• Represented a Saudi Arabian company with its successful investment in a U.S. technology company.
  
• Represented a Chinese company in its acquisition of a U.S. aerospace manufacturing company and negotiated an extensive mitigation agreement with the U.S. Defense Department in connection with the acquisition.
  
• Represented a Canadian company with U.S. holdings engaged in the mining and production of uranium in the review and investigation by CFIUS in connection with the sale of a majority equity interest to a Russian state-owned entity.
  
• Represented Canadian fuel and petroleum distributor in its acquisition of U.S. fuel distributor with network of fuel service stations in review by CFIUS.
  
• Represented Canadian utility infrastructure equipment and services company in its acquisition of assets of privately held utility services company in review by CFIUS.
  
• Represented a Chinese leading short-distance personal transportation vehicle maker based in Beijing in its acquisition of the world’s leading provider of personal electric transportation known for its two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicles in review by CFIUS.
  
• Represented several Top 10 real estate conglomerates from China in CFIUS analysis regarding their real estate transactions in various U.S. states. 
  
• Represented a robotics company in Z-Park of Beijing in post-acquisition CFIUS analysis and compliance. 
  
• Negotiated a critical amendment to a letter of assurance with the U.S. Defense Department on behalf of a Chinese-owned company and its U.S.-based energy assets.
  
• Represented several China-based family offices in transaction-based CFIUS analysis for their investments in the United States.
  
• Represented Singaporean company in CFIUS filings in connection with its acquisition of multiple U.S. businesses.
  
• Advised Chinese AI company regarding potential implications of CFIUS regulations on its business.
  
• Advised multiple companies of varying nationalities in connection with their acquisition of real estate in the United States in connection with greenfield investments.

Sell Side Representations

• Negotiated a first of its kind mitigation agreement on behalf of a U.S. energy storage company in connection with investment by a Chinese company.
  
• Represented a U.S. semiconductor manufacturer in connection with the sale to a Chinese investment company. 
  
• Conducted internal investigation for a U.S. company suspected of breaching its mitigation agreement with DOD.
  
• Represented a European founder in his sale of his U.S. aerospace business and negotiated a complex mitigation agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. 
  
• Provided counsel to multiple U.S. companies that received requests for information (RFI) from CFIUS related to “non-notified” investments.
  
• Represented U.S. designer and producer of 4G and 5G networking equipment in its sale to a conglomerate from the United Arab Emirates.
  
• Represented a U.S. provider of cybersecurity solutions in its sale of various sensitive assets to a French owned defense contractor.
  
• Represented a U.S. enterprise data management provider in its acquisition by a Japanese holding conglomerate and negotiated a mitigation agreement with the U.S. Justice Department in connection with the acquisition.
  
• Represented publicly held global provider of broadband communications network infrastructure products and related services in its acquisition by a French diversified manufacturing and services holding company.
  
• Represented a Canada-based mining company on the regulatory aspects involved in the disposition of a 29% interest of stock that was held by a Chinese-controlled Canada-based company under an order by CFIUS.
  
• Represented U.S. space operations and ground network services provider in its acquisition by Swedish state-owned space systems company in review and investigation by CFIUS and assisted the U.S. company in navigating on of the first of its kind mitigation agreements with the U.S. Defense Department.
  
• Represented one of the largest credit card payment network companies in the world in its CFIUS analysis, compliance, and training. 
  
• Represented a series of venture capital funds and their growth stage portfolio companies in their transaction-based CFIUS analysis and post-closing CFIUS work. 
  
• Represented U.S. defense contractor in the sale of its business, which included ITAR work, to U.K. company.

Economic Sanctions

• Advised non-U.S. clients on the extra-territorial effects of sanctions in jurisdictions outside the United States and potential consequences of such sanctions on those clients’ future U.S. business activities.
  
• Assisted a U.S. public company with investigating and voluntarily self-disclosing apparent violations of the Iranian sanctions by its Chinese affiliate and successfully negotiated a “cautionary letter” (i.e., no financial penalty) with the U.S. Government in connection with the apparent violations.
  
• Engaged by a Singaporean public company to respond to a subpoena from OFAC alleging that the company caused a major U.S. financial institution to repeatedly violate U.S. sanctions laws.
  
• Gained precedent-setting rulings under the various sanctions programs for international engineering societies and other publishers to provide exempt “information and information materials” to persons in sanctioned countries and to engage in the collective authorship and publishing of such works.
  
• Obtained OFAC licenses for multiple clients to transact business in Iran, Cuba, and Sudan in a wide variety of circumstances and across multiple industries.
  
• Advised on cases of investigation and disclosure by international banks of suspected funds transfers involving either sanctioned countries or SDNs.
  
• Advised e-payment processing company on sanctions screening matters with focus on avoiding violations of Ukraine-related sanctions applicable to Russian/Crimean customers of the client.
  
• Provided training to a Norwegian bank regarding impact of U.S. economic sanctions and export control laws on the bank’s operations.
  
• Provided ongoing quarterly reports to the Board and management of one of the five largest U.S. financial institutions regarding the sanctions enforcement matter that our group handled on behalf of a company owned 49% by that financial institution.
  
• Regularly work with a U.S. underwriter to help it understand U.S. economic sanctions and export control implications in certain deals financed by its EU and Asian operations.
  
• Regularly assist underwriters in negotiating export control and economic sanctions representations, warranties, and covenants in various financing and related documents.
  
• Managed the investigation and resolution of the largest case of Cuban travel embargo violations, involving over 44,000 persons, in the history of the U.S. Cuban travel embargo.
  
• Worked with the Chinese office of a U.S. public company to provide tailored economic sanctions training to Chinese employees about the impact of those sanctions on foreign persons.
  
• Provided specialized economic sanctions and export control training to the Hong Kong operations of a major U.S. financial institution.
  
• Prepared stock exchange required memoranda for numerous clients on U.S. economic sanctions and export controls compliance in connection with initial public offerings on an Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
  
• Assisted numerous Fortune 500 companies navigate Russian sanctions and, in some cases, wind-up Russian operations.
  
• Conducted internal investigation for large state university suspected of violations of Iran sanctions.

Export Controls

• Advised a leading San Diego based biotech research institution on export control matters. 
  
• Led export control due diligence in connection with hundreds of M&A transactions. 
  
• Led the internal investigation for a Los Angeles-based aerospace supplier with design facilities in China in assessing apparent violations of the EAR, disclosing those violations to the OEE, and obtaining a cautionary letter (i.e., no penalty).
  
• After disclosure of potential EAR violations to the OEE, developed critical fixes to the export control compliance program of a Los Angeles-based aerospace supplier with design facilities in China.
  
• Advised a drone company on its response to an OEE subpoena resulting in no further action.
  
• Led the internal investigation of a major public university to assess potential export control violations. 
  
• Negotiated settlement of antiboycott violations on behalf of a family-owned U.S. defense contractor.
  
• Advised U.S. artificial intelligence company on export transactions involving Chinese business partner.
  
• Serves as trusted advisor to numerous state and private universities on compliance with export controls.
  
• Supported U.S.-based automotive software and technology company navigate changing export controls impacting industry.
  
• Obtained export licenses for an aerospace company to share sensitive technology with non-U.S. persons in the United States.
  
• Counseled U.S. companies on due diligence for export sales opportunities to ensure compliance with trade restrictions imposed on Belarus and Russia.