Eric Johnson
Eric S. Johnson is a partner based in Proskauer’s Washington, D.C. office, where he focuses his practice on the nexus between cross-border investment and national security equities. He counsels clients on complex transactions reviewed by CFIUS and other national security regulatory regimes, providing strategic guidance to navigate the intersection of private capital and government oversight. He has extensive experience reviewing and advising on acquisitions of U.S. businesses, non-controlling investments involving critical technologies and data, and real estate transactions near sensitive government facilities by or involving non-U.S. investors or businesses. Drawing on his background, Eric advises companies operating in high-stakes sectors, including telecommunications, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and data brokerage, and counsels on mitigating risks associated with foreign ownership and access. He provides insight into evolving legal and regulatory developments that shape the financial feasibility of certain cross-border transactions and the broader investment landscape.
Prior to joining Proskauer, Eric served as Principal Deputy Chief of the Foreign Investment Review Section within the National Security Division of the United States Department of Justice, where he led efforts to protect national security from risks posed by foreign adversaries seeking to exploit lawful commercial activities. He supervised more than forty professionals within the National Security Division and integrated regulatory, policy, legal, and operational functions into a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of national security risks. These risks encompassed foreign investment in U.S. businesses, emerging technologies, critical infrastructure, and sensitive data. As most of the relevant legal authorities have been enacted or significantly amended within the last seven years, Eric drove and shaped the use of those authorities to mirror the dynamic nature of the industries and technologies involved. He advised senior Department leadership on legal and policy matters.
He also served as a senior trial attorney for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, where he tried numerous cases to verdict, and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where he tried criminal bench and jury trials.
Eric started his legal career as a law clerk to Judge A. Joe Fish of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He holds a J.D. from American University and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.