Brandt Pasco focuses his practice on government regulation related to national security, including export controls, foreign acquisitions of US businesses and the National Industrial Security Program.
Export Controls
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Pasco was a founding member of the National Security Council Task Force on Export Control Reform. The Task Force proposal, which is currently being implemented, is the most sweeping change to export controls in a generation.
While at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Mr. Pasco managed the Regulatory Compliance Office in the Science and Technology Directorate, and was responsible for compliance for DHS’s $800 million research and development arm. Mr. Pasco designed, implemented and managed the Directorate’s export control compliance program, and served as an Advisor on the US delegation to the Wassenaar Arrangement on Multilateral Export Controls. He was the DHS representative on the interagency panel chaired by the Department of State that adjudicates Commodity Jurisdiction disputes.
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
Mr. Pasco was Deputy Director for Finance and Investment Policy at DHS from 2006–2008. In that capacity, he was responsible for Homeland Security’s role in redrafting the statutory and regulatory underpinnings of CFIUS, and has managed many cases through the CFIUS process.
National Industrial Security Program
Mr. Pasco established and co-chaired, with the Director of Security, the DHS Science and Technology Classification Review Panel. This Panel was responsible for organizing the application of Original Classification Authority within DHS Science and Technology. He advised contactors, program managers and the Under Secretary on matters related to industrial security, and represented DHS at policy discussions with the Information Security Oversight Office.