Adam Szubin

Adam advises clients on US and sanctions policy. He is the distinguished practitioner-in-residence at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and a lawyer focusing on financial services and national security, with particular emphasis on economic sanctions, export controls, money laundering and counter terrorism.

Adam has extensive experience in US financial services and national security issues, having served as the acting secretary of the Treasury under President Donald Trump and acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence under President Barack Obama. Adam led the policy, enforcement, regulatory and intelligence functions of the Treasury department aimed at identifying and disrupting the lines of financial support to international terrorist organizations, proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics traffickers and other actors posing a threat to US national security or foreign policy.

During his 14-year tenure at the Treasury, Adam also served as the director of its Office of Foreign Assets Control and as the senior advisor to the under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.  

Prior to joining the Treasury, Adam served as counsel to the deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice and worked as a trial attorney in the civil division, serving as a member of the Terrorism Litigation Task Force. Adam clerked for Judge Ronald Gilman on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Adam holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.