Hrishikesh Hari

Practice Areas

Hrishikesh N. Hari (“Hrishi”) is a leading national security advisor and practices at the intersection of national security and the private sector in Dechert’s Washington, D.C. office. He advises private equity investors, asset managers, financial institutions, and their portfolio companies. Mr. Hari’s practice focuses on CFIUS reviews, U.S. outbound investment measures, economic sanctions, and government enforcement matters. In recent years, he has advised on transactions with a combined value in excess of over $50 billion, offering strategic advice to clients on every stage of the deal cycle.

Mr. Hari has extensive experience advising on national security reviews of foreign direct investment (FDI) and complex cross-border transactions by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). He advises foreign investors and domestic sellers with respect to managing CFIUS risks across a range of topics, including structuring transactions, fundraising, mergers & acquisitions, minority investments, syndications and exits. He has experience advising clients on all aspects of engaging with CFIUS to secure CFIUS approval, from preparation of CFIUS filings and advocacy before CFIUS throughout a filing’s review and investigation to negotiation of mitigation agreements, when necessary and appropriate.

Mr. Hari also has experience with assessing and negotiating the mitigation of foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) involving the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). This experience includes negotiating special security agreements, proxy agreements, security control agreements, and FOCI board resolutions.

He also represents clients in national security-related transactional, compliance, and enforcement matters, including in relation to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), anti-money laundering laws and regulations (AML), economic sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the outbound investment security program administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and customs/tariffs. In these areas, Mr. Hari has experience with developing, implementing and improving risk-based, effective compliance programs, conducting internal investigations related to potential violations, and with assessing and mitigating potential risks in connection with transactional matters.

Clients regularly turn to Mr. Hari for advice on the impact of regulatory policy developments in matters involving international trade, cross-border investment, and national security. He has represented clients before the Executive Office of the President, multilateral development banks, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, State and Treasury and other agencies on a range of matters.

Mr. Hari is also dedicated to helping protect individuals and communities from government repression and defending human rights through direct legal support and targeted high-leverage advocacy. He has helped secure the release of prisoners of conscience in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.