January 6, 2016 | Press Release

Economic Sanctions and Terror Finance Expert Joins FDD’s Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance

Washington, DC — Eric B. Lorber, an expert on anti-money laundering policy and terror finance issues, has been named senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance. Mr. Lorber, a lawyer, worked at the Treasury Department in the Office of Chief Counsel at the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes.  At CSIF, Mr. Lorber will work on issues related to economic statecraft, with a particular focus on how China and Russia will increasingly employ economic coercion.  He will also research financial sanctions and their impact on the global financial system, as well as the relationship between the private sector and government in achieving national security objectives.   

Juan Zarate, CSIF’s Chairman and Senior Counselor and a former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism, said that “Eric is one of the country's rising stars and thought leaders in the field of sanctions, financial power, and national security. CSIF is proud to have him join our ranks at a time when the study and understanding of economic power and financial measures is growing ever more central to our national security. We look forward to having Eric build on his impressive body of work to produce new insights and add further depth to CSIF's work.”

Mr. Lorber serves as a senior associate at the Financial Integrity Network (FIN), where he advises financial clients on issues related to economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and regulatory compliance.  

Prior to joining FIN, he was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he advised clients in the areas of international trade regulation, compliance, and anti-corruption, with particular emphasis assisting clients in complying with the economic sanctions and embargo regulations administered by OFAC.  

His commentary on sanctions and related issues has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, Cato Unbound, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Middle East Policy Journal, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Reuters, among others.  He has also testified before the U.S. Senate on sanctions-related issues.

Mark Dubowitz, who is the director of CSIF, commented that “Eric brings to CSIF strong government and private sector experience and a body of impressive scholarship. We are delighted to have him join our growing team of leading scholars and practitioners.” 

“I'm pleased to be joining the go-to-place for policy analysis and real-world action on the use of economic and financial power to advance national security objectives,” said Mr. Lorber.  “I look forward to working closely with the experts at CSIF and FDD, who have played an important role in shaping our ability to effectively use economic and financial tools to achieve foreign policy goals. 

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Mr. Lorber received the Noyes E. Leech Award for highest achievement in international law and was a member of the Moot Court Board and a Arthur Littleton and H. Clayton Louderback Legal Writing Instructor.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University, magna cum laude and with departmental honors, and was awarded the Charles Beard Prize for academic achievement.   

Mr. Lorber is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia and currently maintains a Secret-level security clearance.  He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Next Generation National Security Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security with the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, focusing on issues related to economic sanctions and financial security. 

About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About FDD’s Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance (CSIF):

FDD’s Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance is a project designed to illuminate the critical intersection between illicit finance and national security. The Center relies on regional and sanctions expertise within FDD, including a core cadre of financial, economic, and area experts and analysts, to promote a greater understanding of illicit financing and economic threats. The Center also designs creative and effective strategies, doctrines, and uses of financial and economic power to attack and protect against priority threats and vulnerabilities. More information on CSIF is available at http://www.defenddemocracy.org/csif.

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