Sean M. Reilly
Locations
Bar Admissions
Florida District of Columbia
Education
University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., cum laude, Concannon Programme in International Law, London University of Richmond, B.S., cum laude
Sean M. Reilly is Co-Chair of the Sanctions, Export Controls & Anti-Money Laundering practice group and a member of the Global Investigation, Enforcement and Compliance practice group in the Washington, D.C. and Miami offices at Hughes Hubbard & Reed. Sean advises U.S. and foreign companies on economic sanctions, export controls, foreign investment national security reviews and investigations by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), and international trade policy.
Sean works with his U.S. and global clients to assess and address business risks, design and implement compliance programs, conduct internal investigations, and strategically engage with federal regulators related to his clients’ sanctions, export control, anti-corruption, and investment security obligations. He regularly counsels investors and public and private companies with respect to the potential national security implications of mergers, acquisitions, and other investment transactions. In the M&A context, he conducts assessments of the parties’ CFIUS obligations, as well as the implications of recent restrictions imposed on outbound investments related to national security technologies and products in countries of concern.
Sean also represents clients in complex litigation matters, including commercial, products liability, securities class action and derivative litigation.
Prior to joining Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Sean served in the U.S. Department of Commerce, including as assistant to the secretary and director of the department's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning. In this role, he acted as senior economic, international trade, export control and foreign policy advisor to the Secretary of Commerce. During his tenure, he worked with White House staff and other Cabinet agencies to develop and advance policies related to international trade, export controls, sanctions, national security, and the review of cases pending before CFIUS.
Following law school, Sean served for nearly five years as judge advocate in the United States Air Force.
Selected Matters
- Represented Flushing Financial Corp., the holding company for Flushing Bank, in its proposed merger with OceanFirst Bank N.A. in a transaction valued at $579 million.
- Represented PEAC Solutions, a portfolio company of global investment firm HPS Investment Partners, in its carve-out acquisition of the specialty financing business of ePlus, a technology solutions and services provider.
- Represented Mercedes-Benz on its investment in humanoid robotics company Apptronik's $403 million Series A funding round.
- Represented Sphere Entertainment, a live entertainment and media company, in its acquisition of Advanced Electronic Design, an engineering product development firm.
- Represented global information technology leader Infosys in its acquisition of MRE Consulting, a Houston-based energy consulting company
- Represented Japanese investment fund related to investment in U.S. battery technology company
- Represented Mercedes-Benz in its investment in humanoid robotics company Apptronik’s $403 million Series A funding round
- Represented international air carrier on sanctions and export control compliance, including issues related to flights to Cuba and Venezuela
- Represented U.A.E.-based commodities trading company regarding petition to OFAC for removal from SDN List
- Represented Wipro in its:
- $375 million acquisition of Harman Connected Services, the digital transformation solutions (DTS) arm of Samsung subsidiary Harman International.
- $40 million acquisition of U.S.-based IT services consulting firm Applied Value Technologies
- Represented Japanese industrial company on its investment in U.S. robotics company
- Represented European logistics company regarding U.S. export controls and sanctions compliance
- Represented Indian hotel PRISM on its acquisition of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of U.S. hospitality brand Motel 6
- Represented Rheinmetall AG in its $950 million acquisition of Loc Performance Products
- Represented aviation leasing companies regarding Russia sanctions compliance and related litigation
- Representation of Sotheby’s in connection with a $1 billion minority investment round with Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company ADQ and other investors.
- Represented Knorr-Bremse AG in its €630 million acquisition of the North American rail signaling business of Alstom
- Represented global investment firm in its acquisition of U.S. aviation parts and components manufacturer
- Represented Japanese investment fund related to joint venture investment in U.S. manufacturing company
- Represented multinational oil and gas company regarding an internal review of compliance with economic sanctions and export controls, specifically related to distribution network
- Represented energy services firm in conjunction with an SEC investigation and negotiated resolution
- Represented international aerospace and defense company in connection with export controls compliance and criminal investigations by multiple jurisdictions related to its historical use of third parties
Previous Experience
- Assistant to the secretary and director of Policy and Strategic Planning, US Department of Commerce, 2007 – 2009
- Chief of staff, Market Access and Compliance, International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce, 2006 – 2007
- Acting director, Office of the Executive Secretariat, Office of the Secretary, US Department of Commerce, 2004 – 2006
- Judge advocate, captain, United States Air Force, 1994 – 1998
Recognition
- 2019, 2015 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
- 2018, 2023 Capital Pro Bono High Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Highlighted Publications and Presentations
- “Beyond Borders: The Impact of the New Administration on Global Sanctions and Export Controls,” Hughes Hubbard & Reed, webinar, Feb. 27, 2025.
- Cited in “CFIUS Stresses Scrutiny of Limited Partners, Enforcement at Annual Conference, Law Firms Say,” Export Compliance Daily, Nov. 29, 2024.
- “The ‘High Probability’ Standard for Export Controls: Challenges and Opportunities for Internal Compliance,” Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (“ACSS”), Oct. 3, 2024
- “Whack-a-Mole Sanctions Compliance Can Benefit From War Lessons,” Bloomberg Law, Feb. 29, 2024 (with Kevin Carroll and Sean Reilly).
- “US Products in Enemy Weapons Need Scrutiny Across Supply Chains,” Bloomberg Law, Feb. 14, 2024 (with Kevin Carroll and Sean Reilly)
- Shoe-In Podcast Episode #36, “You Run a Global Footwear Business, Do You Know the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act?” February 7, 2017
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
News & Insights For Sean M. Reilly
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Hughes Hubbard represented Wipro in its $71 million agreement to acquire select customer contracts from California-based IT firm Alpha Net Group.
Hughes Hubbard Advises Diversified Aero Services, Inc. in Sale of its Remaining 50% DASI Stake to Marubeni
Hughes Hubbard advised Diversified Aero Services, Inc. in the sale of its remaining 50% equity stake in DASI to Marubeni Corporation, a publicly traded Japanese company that is one of the world’s largest trading and investment conglomerates.
Hughes Hubbard Advises Allianz X as Co-Lead Investor Alongside TPG in $350 Million Strategic Investment in Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Hughes Hubbard advised Allianz X, the strategic investment arm of Allianz Group, as co-lead investor alongside TPG, with participation from State Farm, in a $350 million strategic investment in Cambridge Mobile Telematics to accelerate AI-driven road safety.
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