PARTNER

Christopher Swift

Chris Swift

My practice thrives at the intersection between innovation and national security.  From counseling entrepreneurs on international technology transfers, to representing startups before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), my team helps navigate the complex web of national security requirements that can frustrate the best-laid business plans. And when government agencies target emerging companies for civil or criminal investigations, my role shifts seamlessly from strategic advisor to white-collar defense lawyer.

Our approach balances pragmatism with efficiency.  Drawing on our experience working with agencies across the U.S. national security community, my team swiftly identifies the technologies, policies, and investment risks that can trigger unwanted government oversight.  We then leverage this experience to develop client-centric solutions.  Whether it is biotechnology companies creating new therapies, software companies developing artificial intelligence, or satellite companies launching their first payloads, we know that different clients face different challenges at different stages in their development.

Foley offers an ideal platform for counseling and defending innovators.  Our entrepreneurial culture promotes creative thinking, pragmatic solutions, and multi-disciplinary teams.  It also encourages us to see challenges through our clients’ eyes – especially in those instances when a CFIUS review or U.S. Government enforcement action can be the difference between a new company’s success and failure.

When I’m not working, you will find me teaching at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, serving as pro bono defense counsel for refugees fleeing contemporary conflict zones, and occasionally appearing as a guest commentator for various broadcast and cable news networks.

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • Court of International Trade