Christian C. Contardo

Christian also advises clients on related issues such as Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance, export and sanctions licensing, foreign ownership and control, and facility clearances. Additionally, Christian represents clients in enforcement proceedings, conducts investigations into potential export control and sanctions violations, and foreign investment reviews before CFIUS.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Christian served as an attorney advisor at the Department of the Treasury Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), including the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control. There, he provided guidance on legal issues involving the Bank Secrecy Act, intelligence, economic sanctions, CFIUS matters, counterintelligence/insider threat programs, anti-money laundering, security clearance investigations, information security, and data privacy.

Christian also worked at Department of Justice (DOJ), National Security Division, where he represented the government before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. At DOJ, he obtained court orders and warrants authorizing electronic surveillance and search in sensitive intelligence operations pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA); developed FBI counterintelligence and export control investigations; conducted compliance training; and advised FBI senior leadership, special agents, and intelligence analysts.

In addition, Christian served as a deputy chief for national security law at the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE), where he led a team supporting ICE counterterrorism investigations and advised senior DHS leadership on legal and policy issues in federal investigations involving immigration, counterterrorism, espionage, visa security, fraud, and export control.