The Bureau of Industry and Security has selected Raj Parekh to serve as its inaugural chief of corporate enforcement.
In his new role, Parekh will work closely with the Department of Commerce’s Office of Chief Counsel for Industry and Security and the Department of Justice to progress major corporate investigations, the BIS said Thursday.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said in a statement that Parekh’s appointment is an important step forward in efforts to bolster the U.S. administrative enforcement program.
A seasoned lawyer, the new appointee most recently served as a U.S. attorney in Virginia, where he supervised over 300 federal prosecutors, civil litigators and support personnel.
Recognized as the highest-ranking non-political official in the Eastern District of Virginia, Parekh’s career boasts more than 40 cases brought to verdict.
His previous work experience includes stints at the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the CIA as well as IBM and an international law firm.
Parekh joins the BIS following its implementation of revised rules concerning voluntary self-disclosures and penalty guidelines, which encourage companies to report violations in exchange for incentives or reduced fines.