Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated
limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States
and authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 77071..
Jonathan Wakely practices at the intersection of national security and the private sector, advising clients on a range of significant international trade, cross-border investment, national security, supply chain security, and public policy matters.
Jonathan has been recognized by Chambers USA for his leading expertise in securing national security-related regulatory approvals for foreign investments. He regularly represents clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (better known as “Team Telecom”), and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) in proceedings related to the mitigation of foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI). He was deeply involved on behalf of clients in the development of the Foreign Investment Review Modernization Act of 2018 (“FIRRMA”), which reformed CFIUS’s authorities, and its implementing regulations.
Jonathan has advised on transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $250 billion across virtually all sectors, including semiconductors, telecommunications, financial services, software, IT services, energy, and real estate. His recent representations include successfully defending Qualcomm against the attempted hostile takeover by Broadcom, securing approval for the acquisition of Genworth Financial by China Oceanwide, and representing Ford Motor Company in connection with a $2.6 billion investment by Volkswagen in Ford’s autonomous driving subsidiary, Argo AI. He has negotiated and advised companies on compliance with many of the most significant, complex, and sensitive national security agreements of the past decade.
Jonathan also regularly advises clients on public policy and government relations matters involving international trade, cross-border investment, and national security. He has represented trade associations, Fortune 100 companies, and sovereign states before Congress and the executive branch, including by designing and executing government relations campaigns to achieve policy, regulatory, and legislative goals.
Jonathan is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a course on national security and the private sector. He has also published extensively on matters related to the regulation of foreign investment; his articles have appeared in the Harvard National Security Journal, The International Lawyer, and the Global Trade and Customs Journal. Before joining Covington, he served as a political analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where he provided strategic analysis to the President and other senior policymakers.
NXP Semiconductor - $2.7 billion sale of its Standard Products business (known as Nexperia) to JAC Capital and Wise Road Capital
Borealis Infrastructure Management - Multiple acquisitions in the energy sector
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) - Successful energy-sector transaction
BAE Systems, Inc. - Multiple acquisitions
Carlyle Group - Multiple transactions
Trade and Public Policy
Represented numerous businesses and trade associations on legislative and regulatory matters regarding the Foreign Investment Review Modernization Act of 2018 (“FIRRMA”)
Advised multiple U.S. technology companies on national security and government relations aspects of business relationships in China.
Represented multiple trade associations on national security-related legislative matters.
Secured the reinstatement of a respected professor’s H-1B visa improperly revoked on national security grounds.
Represented a foreign embassy in a campaign to secure professional visa legislation as part of the implementation of a free trade agreement.
Advised a major U.S. airline on developing and executing a government relations campaign to address issues related to free and fair competition with foreign airlines.
Representing American investors in Yukos Oil Company seeking compensation for the expropriation of approximately $12 billion in assets by the Russian Federation.
Advised a multinational oil & gas company on disputes with foreign government agencies arising from an investment in Central Asia.
Represented the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in a successful constitutional challenge to the Nelson, Georgia “Family Protection Ordinance,” which required residents to keep and maintain a firearm.
Successfully represented an Iraq War veteran in obtaining Combat-Related Service pay.
Accolades
Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts (2020)
Previous Experience
Central Intelligence Agency, Political Analyst (2006-2012)
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