Akin Gump adds more Trade Security Clout

Akin Gump announced Opher Shweiki, former U.S. Department of Commerce, Chief Counsel for the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), has joined as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office.

During his tenure as Chief Counsel for BIS and as part of its senior leadership team, Shweiki played a key role across BIS programs, including the agency’s export control-related regulatory changes and enforcement actions.

Shweiki also led the legal review of significant changes to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) affecting semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, among other areas.

Prior to his role at BIS, Shweiki was the National Security and Cybercrime Coordinator at the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., where he worked on sensitive national security, cybersecurity and other cross-border investigations, with a particular focus on security threats posed by advanced technologies.

Shweiki’s arrival adds further depth to Akin’s formidable export controls, sanctions, national security and global investigations team, and connects him with Akin partners Kevin Wolf, the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, and Jonathan Poling and Ryan Fayhee, both former Department of Justice, National Security Division prosecutors.

Speaking on his move, Shweiki stated, “I have worked alongside or across the table from many of the partners at Akin for years, and the firm’s outstanding reputation in advising and representing clients and its commitment to excellence align perfectly with my professional goals. I am excited to join Akin and its esteemed regulatory and global investigations practices.”