John Lash is a Senior Advisor within Control Risks’ Compliance, Forensics and Intelligence practice in the Americas region. He leads the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) group for the Americas region and is based in Washington, D.C.
John has significant experience advising domestic and international clients in national security reviews before CFIUS and assisting clients with related regulations including the mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI). He leads teams serving in independent audit and monitor roles as required by mitigation terms, and provides guidance to clients during various phases of CFIUS evaluation, submission, and review.
John has advised on national security strategy, integration, and enforcement for M&A assignments totaling over $50 billion in transaction value. He applies his experience in strategic threat management, cybersecurity, and business strategy to advise clients on evaluating and mitigating global trade risk, focusing on maximizing opportunity value. John provides transactional guidance by performing operational and economic impact studies, in addition to evaluating current-state and target-state corporate security models. He also advises clients on comprehensive mitigation structures, including implementation and assessment considerations that may impact national security standards or deal economics.
John’s recent experience includes CFIUS transformation and integration for a multi-billion-dollar semiconductor transaction, as well as multiple CFIUS Third-Party Monitor and Third-Party Auditor roles in sectors ranging from critical and emerging technologies to renewable energy and natural resources.
Prior to joining Control Risks, John served as Director of National Security Compliance at a multinational consulting firm, where he regularly advised domestic and international corporations as well as US government agencies on CFIUS and international trade matters. He received his MBA. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and earned a BS in Accounting from Juniata Collage. John serves as adjunct faculty and guest lecturer at multiple universities across the United States. He is currently pursuing a PhD from Robert Morris University focusing his dissertation on CFIUS and national security trade policy. His research develops and tests game theory models which evaluate the national security implications of free trade, technology transfer, and economic espionage.