Biography
Laura is a partner is our Global International Trade group and is a member of the Firm's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Reviews and US National Security/CFIUS practice. She has over 25 years of experience in the private and public sectors, including 15 years at the US Department of the Treasury.
Laura advises clients on all aspects of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), from identifying national security risks to negotiating contractual provisions to preparing filings and guiding clients through the sometimes opaque process. With the proliferation of investment review mechanisms globally, she also coordinates multi-jurisdiction filings and advises clients on compliance with new outbound investment restrictions.
With respect to her government experience, she most recently served as the Director of Policy and International Relations for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), where she led the multi-agency process for scoping, drafting and finalizing the rules governing CFIUS's jurisdiction and processes. Domestically, Laura also played a leading role in the development of related national security regimes and worked on all aspects of CFIUS cases. Internationally, Laura spearheaded US government engagement on investment security issues with dozens of foreign governments, including with countries in Europe, Asia, the Western Hemisphere, and the Middle East.
Prior to entering public service, Laura was a lawyer in the Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Belgium offices of another leading international firm with a practice focused on cross-border M&A, and more recently, she was senior counsel at another international law firm.
Laura is a widely recognized leader in the field, having been quoted by Bloomberg, CNBC Reuters, US News, Forbes Mexico, Foreign Investment Watch, the Deal, and Global Competition Review. She is ranked by Chambers USA and has been named a CFIUS Leading Partner by Legal 500 and a Top Advisor on Foreign Investment and National Security by Foreign Investment Watch. Chambers USA 2025 interviewees say: "Laura Black has a comprehensive knowledge of the CFIUS process and a remarkable ability to see the process from the regulator’s perspective and anticipate potential questions or concerns."
Band 5, Chambers USA - International Trade: CFIUS 2025.
Foreign Investment Watch, Top Advisor on Foreign Investment and National Security, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Financier Worldwide Magazine, Foreign Investment and National Security Power Player, 2025.
Leading Lawyer in The Legal 500 US, International Trade: CFIUS, 2024-2025.
"Investment Screening for Ireland," May 7, 2025: Diplomatic engagement for the U.S. Embassy, Dublin (panelist).
Two US-China Business Council webinars on the New Outbound Investment Program, August 2024 and January 2025 (panelist).
"The Future of Private Equity and Venture Capital," September 29, 2024: Beryl Alternative Investment & Data Revolution Thought Leadership Conference.
International Visitor Leadership Program on CFIUS and FDI Review, September 2024: State Department and comprising government officials from EU member states (keynote speaker).
"CFIUS and Outbound Investment Program Update," July 2024: Alternative Investment Management Association webinar (speaker).
US Regulatory Update, Export Controls and Outbound Investment, July 2024: Bank of America Investor Call (speaker).
Speaker, "Investment Screening for Ireland," Meridian Center for Diplomatic Engagement Roundtable, May 7, 2025.
Speaker, "The Future of Private Equity and Venture Capital," Beryl Alternative Investment & Data Revolution Thought Leadership Conference, September 29, 2024.
Co-Chair, 10th National Conference on CFIUS, American Conference Institute, April 11, 2024.
Panelist, "The Practice of Preparing for Outbound Investment Scrutiny: Lessons from Navigating the CFIUS Process and New, Strategic Considerations," 10th National Conference on CFIUS, American Conference Institute, April 11, 2024.
Speaker, "Understanding Washington: U.S. Trade Policy Training," Diplocraft, The Meridian Center for Diplomatic Engagement, March 21, 2024.
Panelist, "The Growing Impact of International Trade Laws for Med Tech Companies," MDMA Webinar, March 20, 2024.
Speaker, "Upcoming US Outbound Investment Restrictions," Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) APAC Webinar, December 4, 2023.
Speaker, "Great Leap Outward: Enterprise Exodus in Xi's China," Ergo Global Flashpoints, November 29, 2023.
Speaker, "Understanding the New Outbound Foreign Investment Controls," Massachusetts Export Controls Webinar, October 25, 2023.
Speaker, "Foreign Ownership of U.S. Real Estate: Increased Government Scrutiny, Administrative Obligations, and Penalties," Strafford Publications Webinar, August 17,2023.
Speaker, "Executive Order on U.S. Investments into China," ICI Global, August 11, 2023.
Speaker, "Upcoming US Outbound Investment Restrictions," Alternative Investment Management Association (AMIA) Webinar, July 28, 2023.
Moderator and panelist, "The Scope of Coordination Across Jurisdictions," 4th European Forum on FDI Reviews and CFIUS, London, June 2023.
Witness before Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, "An Act to Amend the Investment Canada Act," May 2023.
Panelist, "Outbound Investment Restrictions (i.e., Reverse CFIUS)," Brookings' Congressional Study Group on Foreign Relations and National Security Law, April 2023.
Speaker, "Cross-Border Investment and M&A: Inbound and Outbound Compliance Concerns," Massachusetts Export Expo, January 27, 2023.
Speaker, "High-Level Roundtable on Investments and National Security Strategy," 2022 CELIS Forum on Investment Screening: The Emerging Law of Investment Control in Europe: Screening, Sanctions and Subsidies, Uppsala, Sweden, June 1, 2022.
Speaker, "Foreign Direct Investments: Hot Relationships Between the US, EU and UK," Concurrences Webinar, October 21, 2021.
Speaker, "Understanding the Basics of CFIUS," Select USA Summit, June 10, 2021.
Speaker, "Transparency, Predictability and Accountability for Investment Screening Mechanisms," OECD Webinar, May 11, 2021.
Moderator, "Navigating the Current Global Scene: The Latest Developments in Overseas FDI Processes," American Conference Institute CFIUS Conference, April 21,2021.
Speaker, "Final FIRRMA Rules and Their Implications for Cross-Border M&A," ABA International Law Section Annual Meeting, June 8, 2020.