Hunton Andrews Kurth Launches National Security Practice

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has launched a national security practice to help companies navigate unprecedented operational, physical and cybersecurity challenges that blur the lines between their corporate security and US homeland security. The practice will also address new compliance requirements associated with changing national security regulations.

The multidisciplinary national security team is led by Paul M. Tiao, Eric R. Markus, Leslie W. Kostyshak, Lisa J. Sotto, Aaron P. Simpson, Brittany M. Bacon, Kevin E. Gaunt and Sean B. O’Connell and is supported by several practice groups across the firm. It includes lawyers with government experience at senior levels and personal insight into agency decision-making and congressional action.

The team assists clients from a wide range of industries in navigating complex national security processes in the executive branch and Congress, including:

• Security-related trade controls
• Foreign investment and influence review
• Sanctions and embargoes
• National Security Division oversight and investigations
• Corruption as a national security priority
• Security clearances
• Supply chain security
• Controlled unclassified information/cybersecurity maturity model certification
• Protection of security-related information
• Mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting
• Public-private security partnerships
• SAFETY Act certification and security-related insurance coverage

The new national security practice complements the firm’s longstanding Cyber and Physical Security Task Force, led by partners Paul Tiao, Kevin Jones and Lisa Sotto, which helps companies handle legal, policy and reputational risks associated with physical and cyber threats to business operations and mission-critical information assets. The task force leverages Hunton Andrews Kurth’s industry-leading privacy and cybersecurity practice and other nationally recognized practice groups.

“Several high-profile attacks on critical infrastructure in the past few years have put security issues squarely on the radar screen for senior management and boards alike,” Sotto said of the threat environment.

“These increased threats have been a catalyst for the US government to require companies to implement stringent security safeguards and to address new requirements associated with tougher national security laws,” Tiao added. “Our team of accomplished lawyers comes from practice groups across the firm. They are uniquely positioned to help clients mitigate these risks, achieve their security goals, satisfy national security requirements, and work with the government to protect corporate and homeland security.”