
Richard C. Sofield

2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 500 West
Washington, D.C. 20037

Richard “Rick” Sofield has nearly 30 years of experience in U.S. national security legal and public policy matters in both the public and private sectors, working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Intelligence Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Security Council, the Executive Office of the President, and the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Defense, Homeland Security, State, Commerce, and Energy, as well as other agencies evaluating foreign investment-related issues. He represents clients in matters involving U.S. national security issues, cross-border transactions, and government investigations.
Prior to entering private practice, Rick was the Director of the Foreign Investment Review Staff for the National Security Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In that role, he oversaw DOJ’s participation in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which included the review of over 1,000 acquisitions and efforts to prohibit multiple transactions on national security grounds. He also served as Chair of Team Telecom, which evaluates certain applications before the FCC to determine whether they raise law enforcement or national security concerns.
Experience Highlights
Provides counsel on structuring, negotiating, and documenting transactions to address national security regulatory issues and agreements
Represents domestic and international companies in national security reviews before CFIUS and Team Telecom
Represents clients in enforcement and regulatory proceedings before the DOJ
Assists clients in identifying and strategically addressing complex national security policy and legal gaps that may impact their business
Represents clients in classified proceedings and court orders authorizing covert electronic surveillance and physical searches in national security investigations
Credentials
- Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., 1994
- Harvard University, A.B., 1991
- Director, U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Foreign Investment Review Staff, 2008-2018
- Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Office of Intelligence Policy and Review, 2003-2008
- Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Civil Fraud Section, 1998-2003
- Attorney Advisor, U.S. Department of the Air Force, Office of the Deputy General Counsel, 1995-1998
- Attorney Advisor, U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, Office of the Deputy General Counsel, 1995-1998
- Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts (Nationwide), 2023
- The Legal 500 U.S., International Trade, 2021
- Assistant Attorney General’s Award for National Security, 2018
- Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, 2011
- Intelligence Community Legal Award, 2011
- Recognized by the National Counterintelligence Executive for Intelligence Community Excellence, 2010
- Meritorious Unit Citation from the Director of National Intelligence, 2008
- Assistant Attorney General’s Award, 2008
- Recognized by the Director of the FBI for Outstanding Legal Assistance, 2007
- Recognized by the Director of the FBI for Exceptional Service in the Public Interest, 2005
- Recognized by the Director of the FBI for Outstanding Legal Assistance, 2004
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- InsightAugust 18, 2023
V&E National Security Update
- Deals & CasesJuly 28, 2023
- Deals & CasesJuly 18, 2023
- Deals & CasesJuly 13, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2023
- Deals & CasesMay 9, 2023
- InsightJanuary 30, 2023
Published by Foreign Investment Watch on February 2, 2023
- Deals & CasesJanuary 24, 2023
- Deals & CasesJanuary 4, 2023
- InsightDecember 27, 2022
V&E CFIUS Update
- InsightOctober 27, 2022
- InsightOctober 12, 2022
V&E CFIUS Update
- Event RecapAugust 18, 2022
- Deals & CasesAugust 1, 2022
- InsightJune 29, 2022
- InsightJune 24, 2022
- Deals & CasesJune 17, 2022
- June 10, 2022
- InsightMay 11, 2022
- Deals & CasesMay 10, 2022
- InsightMay 2, 2022
- April 21, 2022
- InsightApril 11, 2022
- InsightMarch 16, 2022
- Deals & CasesFebruary 15, 2022
- InsightJanuary 31, 2022
V&E CFIUS Update
- InsightDecember 7, 2021
V&E CFIUS Update
- InsightNovember 16, 2021
- InsightNovember 11, 2021
- InsightSeptember 23, 2021
News & Insights
V&E National Security Update