expertise

James (Jim) Lay

Expert on Global Trade, US Procurement, and Investigations

Jim Lay is a recognized expert on global trade, US procurement, and Investigations. He excels at helping global business leaders achieve their critical business objectives.

Having served variously within the US government and as an executive in private industry, Jim moves comfortably between government and business. This allows him to simplify complex regulatory issues and enable business growth despite increased regulation.

Jim’s government experience includes responsible positions or projects with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the United States Senate (USS), the Department of State (DOS), the Department of Defense (DOD), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Central Intelligence agency (CIA). In these roles, Jim has provided investigative support and counsel relating to government procurement of machine learning, computational linguistics, and artificial intelligence capabilities.

As a corporate executive, Jim has served variously as a Board member, Chief Operating Officer, and General Counsel for companies in the defense, intelligence, aerospace, and technology sectors. He routinely provides subject matter expertise to business owners, executives, and boards. His clients have included Carl Zeiss AG, Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics Information Technology, EY, and Deloitte.

Jim also leads Global Trade Enablement at Geotab, Inc., a world leading provider of connected car technology and data analytics. In this role, Jim manages multiple internal functions to simplify complex systems and solve revenue dependencies. Working with a talented cohort of internal stakeholders, Jim provides leadership on trade, sanctions, compliance, and US industrial security and cloud-security innovations.

Jim has conducted and defended against hundreds of US government investigations. His investigative experience dates to the 102 nd Congress (1991-1993), during which Jim served as professional staff on the United States Senate Select Committee for POW/MIA Affairs. In that role, Jim worked shoulder-to-shoulder with an elite Senate investigative team composed of professionals from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He served as a state prosecutor for three years and attended the prestigious United States Department of Justice (DOJ) National Advocacy Center (NAC). In private practice, Jim has defended against investigations involving nearly every agency of the US Government. Jim’s expertise and experience transcends administrative, civil, and criminal investigations.

A veteran of hundreds of first-chair trials over his early litigation career, Jim is sought after to provide expertise relating to litigation in state and Federal courts and before the various US enforcement authorities. Jim has prosecuted government contracts protests at agencies, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and before the US Court of Federal Claims (COFC). He qualifies as approved US Counsel to the Trade Commissioner Service of the Government of Canada and is a qualified Trustee, Proxy Holder, and Outside Director under the US Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). Jim is a member of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) at The Hague.

Leveraging his extensive experience in transnational organized crime (TOC) and international business transactions, Jim frequently represents persons and entities collaborating with US authorities in support of US law enforcement and national security interests. Jim designs and deploys Sanctions Control Programs pursuant to the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and he is adept at simplifying regulations pertaining to Specially Designated Nationals and the Blocked Person List (SDN). Jim publishes periodic insights in an industry newsletter, Sanctions Scrum.

Jim earned his doctorate (J.D.) from the Antonin Scalia School of Law. He also holds a graduate degree (M.A.) in International Transactions from the Schar School of Policy and Government. Jim studied electrical engineering and philosophy at George Mason University, culminating in his baccalaureate (B.A.). For twelve years, Jim lectured at the Washington College of Law at American University. During this time, Jim served variously as an adjunct Lecturer, Assistant Professor of Law, and Associate Professor of Law and taught professional ethics, rhetoric, and litigation practice.

As a recognized expert on global trade, US procurement, and Investigations, Jim is pleased to put his experience to work for executives and boards in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. He excels at helping global leaders manage complex dependencies to reach their critical objectives.