Latham Adds Another Senior CFIUS Lawyer From the US Treasury Department

Latham & Watkins LLP is pleased to announce that Cate Behles has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office* as counsel in the CFIUS & US National Security Practice within the firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. Behles most recently served as Senior Counsel and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) Co-Lead Counsel at the US Department of the Treasury (Treasury). She advises clients on complex foreign investment reviews, national security regulatory matters, and cross-border transactions, with a particular focus on CFIUS. 

Behles draws on extensive government experience to guide corporate and private equity clients on high-stakes regulatory and transactional matters. At Treasury, she led a team of lawyers conducting legal reviews for CFIUS. She worked on all aspects of cases before CFIUS, including jurisdictional assessments of filings, non-notified transaction reviews, mitigation agreement negotiations, and compliance and enforcement actions. She also worked extensively on international development issues and was detailed to the Treasury General Counsel’s front office, where she managed matters requiring the General Counsel’s or the Secretary of the Treasury’s consideration. 

“We are delighted to welcome Cate to Latham and our Washington, D.C. office,” said Mandy Reeves, Washington, D.C. Office Managing Partner. “Cate brings vast experience with CFIUS and national security regulatory regimes, and her experience at Treasury further strengthens our extraordinary roster of former senior government lawyers at the firm.”

“Cate is the fifth former government lawyer in the past 16 months to join our premier CFIUS & US National Security and Economic Sanctions & Export Controls Practices, and her hire underscores our team’s continued growth to match strong demand,” said Damara Chambers, a Washington, D.C. partner who co-leads the firm’s CFIUS & US National Security Practice. “She is the fourth lawyer to join Latham from Treasury during that period — following the arrivals of former Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Paul Rosen, former Senior Counsel and Lead Counsel for Trade Adam Schupak, and former CFIUS Policy Advisor Stephen Keith,** and Aaron Amundson, former Director of the Bureau of Industry & Security’s Information Technology Controls Division, joined from the Commerce Department.”

“Cate is an exceptional lawyer with extensive CFIUS experience working at Treasury across multiple administrations,” said Paul Rosen, a Washington, D.C. partner in Latham’s CFIUS & US National Security Practice and former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security. “In Cate’s nearly seven years at Treasury, she’s been at the center of the most high-profile and consequential CFIUS matters, and I am thrilled to once again work alongside her at Latham to address our clients’ most challenging national security and cross-border investment matters.”

“I am excited to join Latham’s market-leading CFIUS and national security team,” said Behles. “I look forward to helping clients navigate evolving regulatory challenges, manage risk, and achieve their strategic objectives alongside such a talented and collaborative team.” 

Behles received her JD from Notre Dame Law School and her BA from the UC Berkeley.

*Admitted to practice in California only. Work in the District of Columbia conducted pursuant DC Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(8). All work in the District of Columbia supervised by a member of the DC Bar.

**Admitted to practice in Maryland only. All work in the District of Columbia supervised by a member of the DC Bar.