Ivan Schlager is an international trade and national security partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Ivan provides counsel on structuring, negotiating and documenting transactions to address regulatory issues, including approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). He represents a diverse group of clients ranging from defense companies, major telecommunications providers, and media and technology companies to private equity firms and companies in the financial services, energy, manufacturing and health care industries. Ivan has significant experience navigating national security reviews and negotiating complex mitigation agreements. He has developed innovative structures to address national security issues in some of the largest and most complex cross-border transactions. He also assists clients with industrial security (including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI)), international trade, export control and government contracting issues, as well as congressional investigations and other matters involving government relations and investigations. In 2021, Chambers Global also assigned Ivan a Band 1 rating in International Trade: CFIUS Experts (USA). Before joining Kirkland, Ivan was a partner and head of the national security practice and served on the Policy Committee at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. His prior experience includes serving as the chief counsel and staff director to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where he supervised subcommittee professional staff and devised legislative strategy.
North America - United States • International trade
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s dominant offerings in private equity and large-scale M&A positions it as a first port of call for many corporate clients seeking cross-border investment clearance. With a ‘unique ability to communicate effectively with financial professionals’, the team’s experience spans the full scope of issues before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)—from regulatory counselling and the preparation of filings, through to the negotiation of mitigation agreements. Department co-head Ivan Schlager is widely recognized as a foremost authority on CFIUS matters and his broad industry expertise encompasses the defense, TMT, energy, and private equity spheres. Schlager recently advised Blackstone Infrastructure Partners (BIP) on CFIUS matters connected to the acquisition by IRG Acquisition Holdings (a joint venture between Invenergy Renewables, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and funds managed by BIP) of a renewables portfolio from American Electric Power. Fellow group co-head Mario Mancuso is also highly regarded for his comprehensive national security practice, which takes in CFIUS, economic sanctions, export controls, and other international risk issues. Mancuso recently teamed up with Lucille Hague, ’a technical expert on the CFIUS rules’, to lead the CFIUS process for Brookfield Infrastructure’s 49% investment in expanding Intel’s semiconductor operations in Arizona. The Washington DC-based group also draws on government, regulatory and internal investigations partners Daniel Gerkin and Michelle Weinbaum.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The practice is unique because of the breadth and depth of Ivan Schlager's team's domain expertise on CFIUS and other national security-related matters. We value its ability to quickly prepare the appropriate submissions to government regulatory bodies.’
‘In addition to the trust and confidence Ivan Schlager and his team has with the staff at the various agencies, they also have an ability to connect with and provide advice related to political appointees who are the ultimate decision makers.’
‘Ivan Schlager’s team is commercial and understands transaction dynamics, giving it a unique ability to communicate effectively with financial professionals on regulatory matters. It is also incredibly creative in developing mitigation plans and solutions.’
‘We appreciate its presence both in Washington DC and Europe, where we are based, and its strong views on what is, and what is not, acceptable from US Department of Defense's point of view.’
‘Ivan Schlager has an incredible amount of experience and a very strong regular dialogue with US authorities. Provides very good insights and measured and constructive advice.’
- ‘Lucille Hague is amazing. She a technical expert on the CFIUS rules, she is thoughtful and responsive, and she works extremely hard. I'm a CFIUS lawyer too, and I very much value her judgment.’
Key clients
- Blackstone Infrastructure Partners
- Brookfield Corporation
- Cerberus Capital Management
- Investindustrial Industries
- JP Morgan
- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
- Leonardo DRS
- Lone Star Funds
- NewSpring Capital
- NortonLifeLock
- Oaktree Capital Group
- Patient Square Capital
- Permira
- Royal Caribbean
- Thales SA
- Thoma Bravo
- Toshiba
- Triton Partners
- Voyager Digital
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading lawyers
Mario leads Kirkland’s International Trade and National Security practice. A former senior member of the President’s national security team, Mario works closely with companies, private equity sponsors, and financial institutions to identify and mitigate the international risks of operating and investing across international borders. He’s a leading advisor on national security matters, especially involving CFIUS, economic sanctions and export controls.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Mario Mancuso, Ivan Schlager