Rachel Alpert is a Partner at Jenner & Block, where she advises clients on compliance with US sanctions and export controls requirements, related internal investigations, and US national security matters. She previously served as an Attorney-Adviser in the US Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser, working on legal issues affecting US relations with Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Serving as lead attorney for Cuba matters at the State Department, Ms. Alpert advised on Cuba-related issues from the re-establishment of US diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015 through the 2019 end of the suspension of Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD) of 1996. At the State Department, Ms. Alpert also advised on the implementation of approximately $2 billion in US foreign assistance resources, reviewed and drafted legislative text, and prepared senior leaders for Congressional testimony.

Prior to joining the State Department, Ms. Alpert practiced as an associate in Latham & Watkins LLP’s Export Controls, Economic Sanctions & Customs Practice and spent a year in Damascus, Syria as a Frederick Sheldon Fellow, researching the Syrian legal framework for the international response to the Iraqi refugee crisis. Ms. Alpert has a JD from Harvard Law School, an MA in Middle Eastern History from Tel Aviv University, and a BA in International Studies and Political Science from Yale University.