Dechert added Shannon Reaves as a partner and co-chair of its national security practice group. Reaves brings almost two decades of experience in cross-border transaction reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). He joins Hrishikesh Hari as co-chair and will be based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
“As the national security regulatory landscape grows increasingly complex, our clients are facing greater demand for sophisticated CFIUS and industrial security counsel than ever before, and Shannon’s arrival could not be better timed to meet that need,” Mark Thierfelder, co-chair of Dechert, said. “His depth of experience advising clients on some of the most complex and high-stakes CFIUS transactions in the market, including deals valued in the tens of billions of dollars, speaks for itself. We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”
Hrishi Hari, co-chair of Dechert’s national security group, added, “Shannon is exactly the kind of practitioner who elevates a practice group. His practice focuses on transactional, compliance and investigations matters in the national security space and his track record representing clients, including sovereign wealth funds, across aerospace, defense, energy, financial services and beyond makes him an exceptional addition. I look forward to continuing to build the practice together.”
Reaves has extensive experience advising clients on all phases of the CFIUS process, including advance transaction analysis, due diligence to identify potential national security concerns and guidance through CFIUS review and investigation processes. He regularly assists clients in assessing whether specific transaction structures fall under CFIUS jurisdiction, negotiating deal terms with government entities and preparing all necessary filings. Reaves also provides comprehensive counsel on FOCI mitigation and compliance matters before the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy, with particular depth in negotiating mitigation agreements, including special security agreements, proxy agreements, security control agreements and FOCI board resolutions. Reaves has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA for International Trade: CFIUS Experts since 2020. Before joining Dechert, he practiced law at an international firm where he likewise focused on national security, CFIUS and compliance matters.
“I am excited to join Dechert and to work alongside Hrishi to grow the national security practice,” Reaves said. “The firm’s commitment to this space and its strong client base present a tremendous opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to counsel clients through the increasingly complex national security regulatory landscape.”
Reaves is among more than 30 lateral partners Dechert has welcomed this year. Each has strengthened capabilities in the firm’s steeples of excellence in litigation, investment management, finance and restructuring, capital markets and securitization, and mergers and acquisitions. The 2026 laterals have significantly expanded the firm’s litigation platform, from the addition of a new accounting defense practice to strengthening our labor and employment, cyber, privacy and AI and intellectual property teams.
