Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton‘s CFIUS team, which sits within its Foreign Investment and National Security practice, continues to grow its capabilities in advising on sensitive cross-border transactions. The group, based out of Washington D.C, is capable of handling national security reviews on foreign investments, negotiating and implementing mitigation agreements, and coordinating national security reviews across a range of international jurisdictions. The up-and-coming Chase Kaniecki is the driving force behind the team’s activity and has notably advised electronic design company Synposys on a significant semiconductor-related transaction worth $35 billion. B.J. Altvatar is a very active associate, having joined from Covington & Burling in 2023. Altvatar has background experience within U.S. intelligence agencies and is capable of representing clients in reviews, as well as negotiating complex national security agreements. Samuel Chang was promoted to partner at the start of 2025, and his practice spans various industries and all stages of the corporate life cycle.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile

Key clients

  • Best Assistance Education Online Limited
  • Henkel
  • Synopsys, Inc.
  • Latour Capital
  • Aerostar
  • Vale
  • ABB
  • Langan Engineering
  • IMM Investment Corp
  • Kencoa Aerospace

Work highlights

Advised Synopsys, Inc., a chip design and software firm, in its $35 billion acquisition of Ansys, an engineering and product design software firm.
Advised Broadcom, an American semiconductor company, on CFIUS and FDI considerations for the sale of Broadcom’s VMware End-User Computing Division to KKR.
Advised Best Assistant Education Online Limited “Best Assistant”, a subsidiary of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited, a Chinese company, in its agreement and plan of merger with Gravitas Education Holdings Inc., a NYSE-listed company.

Lawyers

Next generation partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Chase Kaniecki

Leading associates

Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

B.J. Altvatar

Practice head

Chase Kaniecki

Other key lawyers

B.J. Altvatar; Samuel Chang