A member of the Firm’s Financial Services Group and National Security Practice, Adam Szubin focuses his practice on financial services and national security, with particular emphasis on economic sanctions, export controls, money laundering and counter terrorism. Mr. Szubin leverages his extensive experience in U.S. government, particularly with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), with his insider knowledge of U.S. national security policymaking to guide clients through their most sensitive decisions.
Prior to joining Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Szubin served for two years as Acting Treasury Department Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. During his nearly 13 year tenure at the Treasury, Mr. Szubin served as the Director of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for nine years and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
As the Acting Under Secretary, he led the policy, enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence functions of the Treasury Department aimed at combating threatening states, international terrorist organizations, proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics traffickers, and others posing a threat to U.S. national security or foreign policy. As the lead national security official at the Treasury Department, Mr. Szubin also advised the Treasury Secretary and National Security Council on a wide range of economic and security issues, including select matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Earlier in his career, Mr. Szubin served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice where he also worked as a trial attorney in the Civil Division and was a member of the Terrorism Litigation Task Force.
Recent Recognitions
- Chambers USA – Recognized in International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions (2022-2024)