To read the full story about CFIUS, click here.

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Even a brief review of CFIUS-related cases in the past few years demonstrates the broad ambit of transactions that can invoke national security in the agency's eyes. These include:

• Alcatel/Lucent: In 2006, CFIUS recommended approval of the merger of Lucent Technologies, including Lucent's Bell Labs, with Alcatel, a French telecommunications firm, but required the companies to enter into a national security agreement and consent to a further review if certain conditions were not met.
• Bain Capital/3Com: In the course of a February 2008 CFIUS review, Bain Capital withdrew its proposed takeover of 3Com, a U.S.-based information technology company that supplies anti-hacking technology to the Defense Department. The withdrawal came after questions arose as to the minority participation of Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company with alleged ties to the People's Liberation Army.
• Citic Securities/Bear Stearns: In 2007, CFIUS approved a $1 billion investment by Citic, a state-controlled Chinese investment bank, in Bear Stearns.
• Check Point/Sourcefire: In 2006, Check Point, an Israeli company, blamed an ongoing CFIUS investigation for termination of an agreement to buy Sourcefire, a U.S. company that developed intrusion detection technology used by the federal government.
• Smartmatic/Sequoia Voting Systems: In 2006, members of Congress and the media pressured CFIUS to review the purchase of a U.S. electronic voting machine by Smartmatic, a Florida company controlled by Venezuelan shareholders allegedly connected to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Shortly afterward, Smartmatic sold the voting machine business to Sequoia Voting Systems.

To read the full story about CFIUS, click here.

—

Even a brief review of CFIUS-related cases in the past few years demonstrates the broad ambit of transactions that can invoke national security in the agency's eyes. These include:

• Alcatel/Lucent: In 2006, CFIUS recommended approval of the merger of Lucent Technologies, including Lucent's Bell Labs, with Alcatel, a French telecommunications firm, but required the companies to enter into a national security agreement and consent to a further review if certain conditions were not met.
• Bain Capital/3Com: In the course of a February 2008 CFIUS review, Bain Capital withdrew its proposed takeover of 3Com, a U.S.-based information technology company that supplies anti-hacking technology to the Defense Department. The withdrawal came after questions arose as to the minority participation of Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company with alleged ties to the People's Liberation Army.
• Citic Securities/Bear Stearns: In 2007, CFIUS approved a $1 billion investment by Citic, a state-controlled Chinese investment bank, in Bear Stearns.
• Check Point/Sourcefire: In 2006, Check Point, an Israeli company, blamed an ongoing CFIUS investigation for termination of an agreement to buy Sourcefire, a U.S. company that developed intrusion detection technology used by the federal government.
• Smartmatic/Sequoia Voting Systems: In 2006, members of Congress and the media pressured CFIUS to review the purchase of a U.S. electronic voting machine by Smartmatic, a Florida company controlled by Venezuelan shareholders allegedly connected to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Shortly afterward, Smartmatic sold the voting machine business to Sequoia Voting Systems.