NEW YORK, NY – (DHS photo by Mikaela McGee)
Aristidis Kourkoumelis has been appointed as the Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, according to his official biography, “he leads DHS’s efforts to identify, assess and mitigate national security risks arising from strategic competition, forced labor, supply chain vulnerabilities, foreign direct investment, and the illicit exploitation of lawful trade. He serves as the Department’s representative to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom)”.
He also plays a key role in White House, interagency, congressional, and international engagement on trade and economic security priorities.
Kourkoumelis, according to his bio on the Department’s website, “brings to DHS a deep background in administrative law, international trade, and national security policy”.
Prior to joining DHS, he was the managing partner of a full-service law firm where he advised clients on complex regulatory matters, litigation and government investigations.
Previously, he served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce where he lead the Department’s implementation of Section 232 tariffs and other strategic security and trade initiatives.
Earlier, he practiced at a large multi-national law firm focusing his practice on complex commercial transactions and international trade.
Kourkoumelis began his legal career clerking for the Honorable Timothy C. Stanceu, then-Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade. He earned an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, and a J.D from New York Law School.
