Former US Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security Leader Joins Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins LLP is pleased to announce that Aaron Amundson has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as counsel in the Economic Sanctions & Export Controls Practice within the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. Amundson advises clients on US export controls, with a focus on the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and related technical issues involving artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cloud computing, cybersecurity, encryption, advanced semiconductors, and data centers.
Prior to joining Latham, Amundson spent 19 years at the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), most recently, as Acting Director of the Office of National Security Controls and Director of the Information Technology Controls Division. In those roles, he oversaw export controls on computers, telecommunications equipment, and encryption; led reforms to encryption regulations; implemented new controls on AI processors; and helped draft EAR regulations and issue interpretive guidance. Amundson also represented the United States in Wassenaar Arrangement discussions, served as the Designated Federal Officer of the Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee, trained foreign governments on export controls, and worked across agencies on complex licensing matters, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reviews and mitigation agreements, enforcement actions, and policy coordination with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
“We are delighted to welcome Aaron to Latham,” said Mandy Reeves, Office Managing Partner of Latham in Washington, D.C. “His nearly two decades of government service and deep understanding of technical issues such as encryption, AI, advanced semiconductors, and data centers, will be a tremendous asset to our Economic Sanctions & Export Controls Practice.”
“Clients will highly value Aaron’s unique combination of legal, regulatory, and technical expertise and his sophisticated understanding of commodity classification, licensing, export compliance, enforcement, and investigations,” added Kevin Chambers, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. “His reputation as a preeminent authority on export controls, paired with his deep technical fluency, will further strengthen our market-leading capabilities.”
“Aaron’s BIS leadership and technical understanding of US export controls in areas like encryption, AI, and semiconductors enhance our team and sharpen our edge. His insights will extend our ability to deliver clear, practical guidance on EAR compliance, export control classifications, critical technology analyses in the CFIUS space, and to navigate high-stakes investigations and enforcement,” said Les Carnegie, a Washington, D.C. partner who co-leads the firm’s Economic Sanctions & Export Controls Practice as well as the CFIUS & US National Security Practice.
“I am thrilled to join Latham’s best‑in‑class team, where I can leverage my experience and passion for emerging technologies to help clients anticipate regulatory changes, manage risk, and achieve their strategic objectives in a rapidly evolving landscape,” Amundson said.
Amundson is the latest former government official to join Latham’s top-tier White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, following the arrivals of Paul Rosen, former Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Treasury for Investment Security; Vanessa Le, former Counsel for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Ed Siskel, former White House Counsel, and Marc Berger, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement and now Co-Chair of Latham’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice.
Amundson received his JD from American University Washington College of Law and holds dual BAs in International Affairs and French from the University of Colorado Boulder.