Les P. Carnegie > Latham & Watkins LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile
Latham & Watkins LLP Offices

555 ELEVENTH STREET, NW, SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON DC 20004-1304
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
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Les P. Carnegie

Position
Les Carnegie advises companies, financial institutions, and private equity funds, both in the US and globally, on their outbound and inbound business transactions. He helps clients navigate US export controls, sanctions, and foreign investment reviews by CFIUS. He co-leads Latham’s Economic Sanctions & Export Controls Practice, and the CFIUS & US National Security Practice.
Les advises clients on legal, policy, and enforcement issues arising under:
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- US trade and economic sanctions
- US export controls
- National security reviews of foreign investments in the US conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
Les draws on strong working relationships with regulators and two decades of legal experience to help clients understand legal restrictions and requirements, secure licensing, make voluntary disclosures and respond to enforcement actions, as well as maintain compliance with various US legal regimes, including:
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- National security reviews before CFIUS
- US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
- US Department of State’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
- US Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), and antiboycott regulations
He has developed particular insight on key strategic industries, including:
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- Banking and financial services
- Energy
- Life Sciences/Biotechnology
- Aerospace/Defense
- Consumer/Retail goods
- Hospitality/Entertainment
- Not-for-profit NGOs/Tax-exempt organizations
Les frequently writes and speaks on sanctions and CFIUS topics. He is regularly recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US, and was named a Top Advisor by Foreign Investment Watch in 2020, and a Compliance MVP by Law360 in 2021. Clients describe him as “our first choice when tackling complex economic sanctions or export control compliance matters,” and “a tireless, engaging advocate and forward thinker,” whose “knowledge of US sanctions is excellent, as are his relationships with OFAC personnel.”
Les organized and edited the first Foreign Direct Investment Regimes app, covering investment from several global jurisdictions.
He clerked for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Career
Lawyer Rankings
United States > International trade and national security > CFIUS
(Leading partners)United States > International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
(Hall of Fame)Co-led, out of Washington D.C., by the reputable Les P. Carnegie, the Latham & Watkins LLP
national security team has notable strength in the export controls and economic sanctions space. The team’s capabilities are very wide-ranging, with experience in assisting and advising on government investigations, counsel during the transaction lifecycle, and regulatory advice. The team has a client base that spans significant private equity firms, multi-national corporations, global pharmaceutical companies, and financial institutions. Carnegie is described as ‘knowledgeable, approachable and helpful’, whilst his co-lead, Eric Volkman has a deep knowledge of compliance issues with experience in designing and implementing compliance programs. Andrew Galdes is a key member of the team.
United States > International trade and national security > National Security
(Leading Individuals)Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame United States > International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Leading partners United States > International trade and national security > CFIUS
- Customs, export controls and economic sanctions United States > International trade and national security
- Leading Individuals United States > International trade and national security > National Security
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Insurance > Advice to policyholders
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- International trade and national security > CFIUS
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Finance > Commercial lending: Advice to bank lenders
- Intellectual property > Copyright
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Finance > Fintech
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Antitrust > Merger control
- International trade and national security > National Security
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Finance > Project finance
- Real estate > Real estate
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
- Industry focus > Sport
- Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
Firm Rankings
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Industry focus > Education
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Government > Government contracts
- Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious
- Dispute resolution > International litigation
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Healthcare > Health insurers
- Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- Healthcare > Service providers
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Finance > Commercial lending > Advice to direct lenders/private credit
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense