David J. Ribner’s practice focuses on counseling US and non-US clients on international trade and investment regulatory matters, including trade and anticorruption compliance. His clients span a variety of industries, with a focus on companies operating in the technology and energy sectors.
David has extensive experience securing national security clearance by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), having served as CFIUS counsel in transactions with investors spanning the globe and myriad industries.
David also counsels clients on compliance with U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, customs laws, and antiboycott regulations, as well as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and advises on the development and implementation of related corporate compliance programs. When potential violations of such laws arise, he conducts internal investigations and assists with responding to subpoenas and other information requests from the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David is consistently recognized by Chambers USA with a ranking as a CFIUS expert and by Chambers Global as an “Up-and-Coming” CFIUS expert. He has also been recommended as a Rising Star for International Trade: CFIUS by The Legal 500 US and named to Global Competition Review, Foreign Investment Control’s “40 Under 40,” which recognizes the world’s top foreign investment lawyers under age 40. David frequently speaks and publishes on topics related to international trade.
Representative CFIUS Experience
- IBM in connection with multiple transactions, including the sale of its x86 server business to Lenovo, the sale of its global semiconductor manufacturing business to GLOBALFOUNDRIES, and the sale of select IBM software products to HCL Technologies
- Mitsui & Co. in connection with its acquisition of Spaceflight, Inc., a space launch rideshare company, and its investment in Airspan Networks Inc., a communications equipment company
- A European multinational company in connection with CFIUS matters involving multiple acquisitions of US physical and logical access control and security equipment businesses
- DigitalGlobe, Inc. in its acquisition by Macdonald, Dettweiler and Associates Ltd.
- OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, in the US$800 million sale of portfolio company Airports Worldwide to Vinci Airports, a subsidiary of Vinci Group
- Mentor Graphics Corporation in its US$4.5 billion acquisition by Siemens Industry, Inc., a leader in global technology, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation, and digitalization
- Analogix Semiconductor in its acquisition by Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co, Ltd.
- A buyer consortium led by Yunfeng Capital, TF Capital and Tony (Bizuo) Liu, in a going private transaction involving Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBMG).
Representative Economic Sanctions & Export Control Experience
- Conducted internal investigations relating to potential violations of economic sanction laws, antiboycott laws and, the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
Representative FCPA Experience
- In response to FCPA inquiries from the U.S. government, conducted an investigation for a leading tech company of the company’s operations in numerous countries across Asia, Africa, and South America
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
Education
- Georgetown University, J.D.
- King's College London, University of London M.A.
- Columbia University, B.A.
Honors & Awards
- Recommended by Who's Who Legal for Foreign Investment Control (2024)
- Named to the "40 Under 40" list by Global Competition Review, Foreign Investment Control (2023)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for International Trade: CFIUS (2024); Named a Rising Star (2023)
- Named to the Washington, DC Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (2016-2019, 2023)
- Ranked by Chambers USA for International Trade: CFIUS Experts (2024)
- Named "Up & Coming" by Chambers USA for International Trade: CFIUS Experts (2021-2023); Chambers Global for International Trade: CFIUS Experts (2022-2025)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for International Trade (2020-2022)
Professional Activities
Publications
- “Tougher Stance on Chinese Investments Comes at a Cost,” The Hill (August 2018)
Speaker
- Presenter, “Navigating U.S. Foreign Investment Regulations: CFIUS and Investment in Biotech and Life Sciences,” 2024 MedInvest Biotech and Pharma Investor Conference (September 2024)
Client Alerts (Most Recent)
- “CFIUS Plans to Enhance and Expand Monitoring and Enforcement Authorities” (O’Melveny National Security Alert, April 2024) (with Greta L. Nightingale)