Marik String, Former Top State Department Lawyer, Returns to WilmerHale

Marik String, Former Top State Department Lawyer, Returns to WilmerHale

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WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Marik String, a leading authority on national security law, economic sanctions, and international disputes, has rejoined the practice. 

Mr. String, who recently served as Acting Legal Adviser (General Counsel) of the US Department of State, will be a member of the firm’s Defense, National Security and Government Contracts group and contribute to the firm’s International Litigation and Arbitration practices. He will be based in the firm’s Washington DC office.  

Mr. String will advise clients on matters at the intersection of national security, cross-border investment, international trade and disputes, and global public policy. He has extensive experience advising on transactions reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and is a leading authority on economic sanctions, export controls and other national security regulations. He will also help clients navigate investigations by Congress and the Executive Branch involving cybersecurity, defense, intelligence and foreign relations issues. He brings broad expertise in international arbitration and international litigation in US courts, particularly involving the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, diplomatic immunity and the extraterritorial application of US law.

From 2019 to 2021, he served as the State Department’s chief legal officer and principal legal adviser to the Secretary of State. Managing the Office of the Legal Adviser’s 375 attorneys and staff, he supervised the US government’s international claims and litigation portfolio and was Agent of the United States in disputes before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Iran-US Claims Tribunal. He argued before the ICJ in Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States—Alleged Violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity. He also served as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs (2018-2019), supervising all export control and enforcement functions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). 

Previously, he was a WilmerHale lawyer from 2013 to 2017. He also has significant Capitol Hill experience, having served as Deputy Chief Counsel and Senior Professional Staff Member on the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under Senator Richard Lugar (2006–2013). He has supported the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Joint Chiefs of Staff as an officer in the US Navy Reserve.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have Marik return to our team after his government service,” said Stephen Preston, chair of WilmerHale’s Defense, National Security and Government Contracts group. “Our clients will greatly benefit from his knowledge and experience advising on the most complex legal issues at the intersection of national security and the private sector.” 

“I am thrilled to be back at WilmerHale after completing my government service,” Mr. String said. “The firm has established an unparalleled reputation for addressing the most challenging regulatory and international problems on behalf of its clients, and its dedication to excellence, client service, and collaboration make it the ideal platform for resuming private legal practice.” 

Mr. String received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center; MA from the University of Vienna (Austria) where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar; and BA from the University of Notre Dame.

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