Mr Jason Chipman > WilmerHale > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

WilmerHale
2100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20036
United States

Position

Partner

Career

Jason Chipman is widely recognized as a national leader in handling complex regulatory matters associated with data security, cyber incident response, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and related export controls.

Data Security: Mr. Chipman has advised companies in nearly every sector of the economy on data security best practices and incident response, and because of his experience he is frequently asked to assist with corporate due diligence for transactions involving complex data security and privacy issues. He has helped companies large and small navigate regulatory obligations associated with data security incidents in the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Chipman is the editor of Cybersecurity, a global cybersecurity guide, and he frequently speaks to groups about cyber preparedness and related issues.

CFIUS and Foreign Investments: Since he joined the firm, Mr. Chipman has assisted clients navigating some of the most complex transactions submitted to CFIUS, representing both US sellers and foreign buyers. He frequently helps clients assess potential CFIUS risks associated with potential transactions and navigate obligations associated with facility clearances and the Defense Security Service.

Representative CFIUS transactions that highlight Mr. Chipman’s broad experience with foreign investment reviews are listed below:

  • Represented a major agriculture company in its multibillion-dollar sale to a foreign buyer.
  • Represented a private equity firm in its multibillion-dollar acquisition of a guard company.
  • Represented a US defense contractor in its 2017 sale of manufacturing facilities to a Chinese buyer.
  • Represented one of the world’s largest gold producers in their multibillion-dollar acquisition of a US-based mining company. Represented a French global telecommunications company in its multibillion-dollar sale to a global technology leader. Represented Brigham Exploration Company in its approximately $4.4 billion sale to Statoil ASA.
  • Represented an aircraft engine manufacturer and subsidiary of a Chinese defense company in its separate acquisitions of two US aviation companies. Represented Chicago Bridge & Iron NV in its approximately $3 billion acquisition of engineering and construction firm The Shaw Group Inc.
  • Represented an American multinational conglomerate before CFIUS in filings with respect to the acquisition of a subsidiary by a French manufacturing firm.

Background: Mr. Chipman currently serves as a non-resident fellow at the National Security Institute and is widely sought after for his strategic thinking on national security issues. He joined the firm in 2011 after serving as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and after having previously served as Counsel for National Security Law and Policy in the Department’s National Security Division. During his time at the DOJ, Mr. Chipman’s practice focused on national security policy, representing the government in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, CFIUS, cybersecurity and sensitive government investigations.

Prior to joining the DOJ, Mr. Chipman was an associate at a Washington DC law firm where his practice focused on complex trial and appellate litigation.

Education

  • JD, University of Virginia School of Law
  • BA, Mary Washington College

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)

WilmerHale’s Washington DC-based cross-disciplinary practice converges privacy, corporate governance, national security and litigation in order to navigate clients through cyber incidents, provide compliance strategies and data-related risk evaluations part of transactions. Co-chair of the privacy practice Benjamin Powell advises clients from a range of sectors, including banking, software, retail, life sciences and media on cyber incidents and data breach investigations. Co-chair Kirk Nahra is the key contact for clients requiring implementation of privacy and data security laws on a domestic and global scale. Jason Chipman focuses on data due diligence part of corporate transactions, while special counsel Arianna Evers works with clients on cybersecurity risk and privacy impact assessments.

United States > International Trade > CFIUS

(Leading lawyers)

Jason ChipmanWilmerHale

A strong specialist CFIUS team’, WilmerHale strikes the right note with its ‘clear domain knowledge of the CFIUS process and its intricacies’. The wider firm’s signature regulatory expertise and relationships comes into play in its national security practice, with many of its key partners bringing to bear strong government backgrounds and in-depth understanding of internal CFIUS procedures and culture. Most notably, go-to CFIUS expert Benjamin Powell served as general counsel to the first three Directors of National Intelligence; he was at the helm for several sensitive matters over the past year. Additionally, Jason Chipman’s practice leverages his significant experience in working on national security issues at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Chipman, who is ‘committed to building client relationships and getting results’, is advising Kansas City Southern Railway Company on CFIUS matters connected to its merger with Canadian Pacific Railway. Other key contacts in the Washington DC-based group include Stephen Preston, who  heads the defense, national security and government contracts practice, and Robert Kimmitt, whose practice takes in national security law, international investment, regulation and governance.