Akin Gump Strengthens International Trade Practice with the appointment of three new Partners

Akin Gump Strengthens International Trade Practice with the appointment of three new Partners

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a global law firm, has bolstered its international trade practice in Washington DC by recruiting a group of three partners from Hughes Hubbard & Reed.

Ryan Fayhee, Roy Liu, and Tyler Grove, the newly recruited partners, bring with them a wealth of experience in providing guidance to clients on various aspects of economic sanctions, export controls, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering compliance, as well as handling investigations.

Jonathan Poling, the Head of Akin Gump's International Trade Practice, stated that Ryan Fayhee, Roy Liu, and Tyler Grove's addition to the firm comes at a time of increased focus on sanctions enforcement efforts and export control investigations.

“This group recognises this reality and strengthens our ability to support clients engaged in trade globally, but also critically at the intersection of US and China relations,” Poling added.

Prior to joining Akin Gump, Ryan Fayhee held the position of a Senior Prosecutor at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), where he specialised in overseeing cross-border investigations and prosecutions involving espionage, sanctions and embargoes, trade secret theft, cybercrime, corruption, and money laundering. Furthermore, he served in the National Security Division, holding the significant role of principal DOJ attorney responsible for overseeing sanctions and export control prosecutions on a national level.

After a tenure of 11 years at the DOJ, Fayhee departed in 2015 and joined Baker McKenzie. Subsequently, in 2018, he became a part of Hughes Hubbard, where he not only led the firm's practice group focused on sanctions, export controls, and anti-money laundering but also served as a member of its executive committee.

He offers counsel to clients confronting reputational risks and incident response matters, and he provides guidance on governance and compliance best practices, acquisition due diligence, and national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Furthermore, Fayhee's expertise is recognised by Chambers, where he maintains a ranked trade sanctions practice. Presently, he is representing Paul Whelan, a former US marine who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges, which Whelan denies.

Fayhee expressed that Akin Gump is the perfect environment for the trio to expand and develop their respective practices.

“In addition to the firm’s existing depth in the international trade and government investigations groups, Akin’s lobbying and public policy and congressional investigations practices will enable us to provide clients with all of the advocacy and advice they require in complex, politically charged cross-border matters, something we are very eager to build on,” Fayhee said.

At Akin Gump, Roy Liu will continue to offer guidance to clients on a range of matters including economic sanctions, export controls, and issues related to the CFIUS and customs. During his time at Hughes Hubbard, he chaired the greater China practice and has extensive experience advising Chinese companies on employment, intellectual property, and international trade disputes before US federal and state courts. Additionally, he provides counsel to US and Europe-based corporations seeking to conduct business in the Greater China region. Before his tenure at Hughes Hubbard, Liu served as counsel at Hogan Lovells before joining the firm in 2019.

Tyler Grove, who became a partner at Hughes Hubbard in January, specialises in guiding clients on economic sanctions and international trade regulation and compliance matters. His practice primarily revolves around handling intricate internal investigations, enforcement actions, and self-disclosures. Moreover, he has extensive expertise in navigating the evolving regulations concerning semiconductors and high technology, as well as foreign direct investment and CFIUS reviews.

Kim Koopersmith, the Chairperson of Akin Gump, acknowledged that the trio of partners (Ryan Fayhee, Roy Liu, and Tyler Grove) has established practices that align exceptionally well with the current intricate regulatory landscape. Their expertise complements the firm's existing strengths, notably in the areas of sanctions and export control practice and government and congressional investigations.

Koopersmith further highlighted that the trio's impressive track record in representing clients before government stakeholders on complex cross-border issues underscores their exceptional strengths. She expressed her delight in welcoming them to the firm and acknowledged the valuable contributions they would bring to the team.

The strengths of the newly added trio align seamlessly with those of Akin Gump's existing international trade team, which has gained recognition from Chambers for its exceptional capabilities in customs, CFIUS matters, export controls, and economic sanctions work.