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Stephen R. Heifetz
Partner
National Security and Trade
Washington, D.C.

D202-973-8802

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  • Government Experience

    Stephen previously served in the U.S. government as a CFIUS official, and in other national security positions at the CIA, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice.

  • A Recognized CFIUS Practitioner

    For two decades, Stephen has been involved in thousands of CFIUS matters. He helps U.S. companies and foreign investors assess CFIUS risks, draft risk-allocation language, respond to CFIUS inquiries and enforcement actions, make CFIUS filings, and obtain CFIUS clearances. He also serves as CFIUS counsel to the National Venture Capital Association and has been recognized as a leading CFIUS and national security expert by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Foreign Investment Watch, and Washingtonian.

  • Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions, and Other National Security Matters

    Stephen has advised clients on regulatory compliance, investigations, and defense of government enforcement actions relating to anti-money laundering and beneficial ownership requirements, economic sanctions (including UN sanctions regimes), and an array of other national security matters.

  • A Thought Leader on CFIUS and National Security Issues

    Stephen has published articles in many forums, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Semafor, Lawfare, The Hill, and Law360, and he speaks regularly on CFIUS and other national security topics.

Stephen Heifetz is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises clients on laws and policies at the intersection of international business and national security. He has been a CFIUS practitioner for two decades, and has previously served for the U.S. government on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Stephen has advised the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) on CFIUS policy issues, has been involved in thousands of CFIUS matters and has been recognized as a leading CFIUS and national security expert by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Foreign Investment Watch, and Washingtonian. Chambers sources note Stephen is “extraordinarily knowledgeable, responsive, and offers great practical guidance.”

Stephen regularly helps U.S. companies and foreign investors determine whether to make a CFIUS filing, allocate CFIUS risk in transaction documents, navigate the CFIUS process, respond to CFIUS “non-notified” inquiries, and negotiate risk mitigation measures if needed to obtain CFIUS clearance.

Beyond CFIUS, Stephen advises clients on matters of legal compliance and political risk and defends companies facing investigations and government enforcement actions, often in the context of cross-border transactions and other activities. He represents clients with regard to anti-money laundering laws and beneficial ownership requirements administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and other financial regulators, particularly laws pertaining to money transmitters and other money services businesses.

Additionally, Stephen advises on economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and by the UN Security Council, and has experience with anti-corruption and export control laws, with security screening rules applicable to visa applicants as well as airlines and other transportation companies, and with codes of conduct applicable to private security providers.

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Stephen was a partner at a multinational law firm based in Washington, D.C., where he co-chaired that firm's international regulation and compliance group. From 2006 to 2010, he served as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Policy Development. In this role, he served as DHS's daily representative to CFIUS and also worked with DHS's agencies—including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—to develop policies on a range of issues.

After finishing law school, Stephen worked as an attorney for the Central Intelligence Agency and later served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.

Stephen has published articles in top business and legal media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Semafor, Lawfare, The Hill, and Law360. He also was previously an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Experience

Stephen Heifetz is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises clients on laws and policies at the intersection of international business and national security. He has been a CFIUS practitioner for two decades, and has previously served for the U.S. government on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Stephen has advised the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) on CFIUS policy issues, has been involved in thousands of CFIUS matters and has been recognized as a leading CFIUS and national security expert by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Foreign Investment Watch, and Washingtonian. Chambers sources note Stephen is “extraordinarily knowledgeable, responsive, and offers great practical guidance.”

Stephen regularly helps U.S. companies and foreign investors determine whether to make a CFIUS filing, allocate CFIUS risk in transaction documents, navigate the CFIUS process, respond to CFIUS “non-notified” inquiries, and negotiate risk mitigation measures if needed to obtain CFIUS clearance.

Beyond CFIUS, Stephen advises clients on matters of legal compliance and political risk and defends companies facing investigations and government enforcement actions, often in the context of cross-border transactions and other activities. He represents clients with regard to anti-money laundering laws and beneficial ownership requirements administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and other financial regulators, particularly laws pertaining to money transmitters and other money services businesses.

Additionally, Stephen advises on economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and by the UN Security Council, and has experience with anti-corruption and export control laws, with security screening rules applicable to visa applicants as well as airlines and other transportation companies, and with codes of conduct applicable to private security providers.

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Stephen was a partner at a multinational law firm based in Washington, D.C., where he co-chaired that firm's international regulation and compliance group. From 2006 to 2010, he served as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Policy Development. In this role, he served as DHS's daily representative to CFIUS and also worked with DHS's agencies—including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—to develop policies on a range of issues.

After finishing law school, Stephen worked as an attorney for the Central Intelligence Agency and later served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.

Stephen has published articles in top business and legal media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Semafor, Lawfare, The Hill, and Law360. He also was previously an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Focus Areas
Recent Insights
News Articles
Wilson Sonsini Practices, Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Chambers USA Guide
The 2026 Chambers USA guide has recognized Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a leading law firm in 44 geography-specific practice categories and named 87 Wilson Sonsini attorneys among the best in their fields. This year, the firm received four new practice area rankings, including in the nationwide National Security and Capital Markets: Convertible Debt categories, and three improved practice area rankings.
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Client Highlights
Wilson Sonsini Advises Credo on Regulatory Matters Related to Acquisition of DustPhotonics
On May 28, 2026, Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (Credo), an innovator in providing connectivity at scale through fast, reliable, and energy-efficient system solutions, announced that it has completed its acquisition of DustPhotonics in a transaction valued up to $1.3 billion. DustPhotonics brings industry-leading silicon photonics photonic integrated circuit (SiPho PIC) technology for optical connectivity, deepening Credo’s optical interconnect portfolio across 800G, 1.6T, and 3.2T near-packaged optics (NPO) and co-packaged optics (CPO). Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Credo on regulatory matters related to the transaction.
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Recent Events
Speaking Engagements
Helsinki Geoeconomics Week 2025
From August 11–14, 2025, Wilson Sonsini partner Stephen Heifetz will participate in the Helsinki Geoeconomics Week, hosted by the Helsinki Geoeconomics Society. On August 11, Stephen will speak on the panel “Capital Under Siege: Geopolitical Filters and Retaliatory Investment Risk.” On August 12, he will join the session “Economic Lawfare: How States Use Law as a Weapon of Advantage.” The annual Helsinki Geoeconomics Week is attended by global policymakers, corporate strategists, financial experts, and academics, who focus on bridging the gap between theory and practice in geoeconomics. For more information about the event, you can visit the event website.
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Affiliated Programs
NVCA National Security & Outbound Investment Webinar
On May 13th, Wilson Sonsini partners Josh Gruenspecht and Stephen Heifetz will be speaking to NVCA members on regulatory shifts and new regulations that have developed since the start of the new administration. Topics covered will include the new outbound investment rules that began in January 2025, new data export regulations, and possible upcoming CFIUS reforms.
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