Government Briefing: A Conversation with Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez

This latest in our series of Government Briefings will feature Under Secretary for the Environment and Economic Growth, Jose W. Fernandez, in a fireside chat. The discussion, which will be conducted under strict Chatham House rules, will be moderated by USJC Council Leader Dawn Yamane Hewett (Quinn Emmanuel’s Global International Arbitration and Investigations Practices).

The dialogue will cover economic, energy security and other important issues in the context of U.S.-Japan relations. Please note that this event has an in-person attendance capacity of 35. Invited guests will be granted attendance on a fist-come-first-serve basis.

Featured Speaker

Jose W. Fernandez
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment

Jose W. Fernandez was confirmed by the Senate as Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment on August 6, 2021.  He leads the State Department’s bureaus and offices that stand at the center of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts on climate change, clean energy, health, supply chain security, and other economic priorities. Under Secretary Fernandez is also the United States Alternate Governor to the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Inter-American Development Bank.  From 2009 to 2013, he served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, one of the bureaus he now oversees.

Prior to his most recent appointment at the Department of State, Under Secretary Fernandez was a partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York. His practice focused on mergers, acquisitions, and finance in Europe and emerging markets, advising U.S. and foreign clients in the telecommunications, energy, water, banking, and consumer industries.He has been chair of the Inter-American law committees of both the American Bar Association and The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as well as of the Cross-Border M&A and Joint Venture Committee of the New York State Bar Association.  Most recently, Fernandez was an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School. He was the Transition Policy Director for then-Governor-Elect Phil Murphy of New Jersey in 2017, and a director of Iberdrola S.A. until assuming his current position.

The Under Secretary graduated from Dartmouth College and received an honorary degree from the College. He earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law, where he was awarded the Charles Evans Hughes Prize and a Parker School Certificate of International Law with honors.

Dawn Yamane Hewett (Moderator)
Partner, Quinn Emanuel

Dawn Yamane Hewett is a Partner in the firm’s Global International Arbitration and Investigations Practices.  Ms. Hewett draws on decades of experience in policy and international affairs, including 15 years of experience in complex investment treaty and commercial arbitrations, multi-jurisdiction litigations, and high-stakes government investigations.  Given her multilingual abilities and extensive cross-cultural experiences across five continents, she regularly represents clients with disputes from around the world, maintaining a particular focus on U.S., Latin American, and Asian disputes. Ms. Hewett is fluent in English, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese, with reading ability in French.   She has extensive experience in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations, including those administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and under other arbitral rules. Ms. Hewett also represents clients in government and internal investigations and in litigation in administrative hearings and in federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.  Her U.S. matters have involved everything from national security reviews, criminal and civil antitrust, bribery, obstruction of justice, consumer protection, and international trade.  As a seasoned trial attorney in numerous bet-the-company disputes with a deep understanding of government agencies and policymaking, Ms. Hewett provides clients with strategic advice at all stages of investigations and disputes.