Overview
Karl Hopkins is an internationally recognized legal advisor with extensive experience in infrastructure, energy, compliance, and cybersecurity and privacy matters. Karl counsels clients on a variety of matters involving international infrastructure development, arbitration, energy, business and political intelligence, and security and threat analysis. He also provides strategic advice regarding global operations, including the performance of due diligence and compliance investigations, physical and cybersecurity assessments, country and political risk assessments, and threat analyses. This includes providing enterprise risk management and organizational resiliency advice. He has acted as the Chief Security Officer for a large multinational organization where he was responsible for the development and oversight of the information security, physical security, compliance, investigation, threat and political analysis, data retention, incident response, and insider threat programs.
Karl also provides clients with strategic and legal advice regarding crisis and incident response, and serves as incident response counsel for several global institutions. He has managed various types of crises, including physical security breaches and cyber incidents, insider threats, and reputational impacts. He assists clients with the formulation and implementation of communication and crisis management policies and protocols.
In addition, Karl represents clients before various arbitration tribunals, including the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). He has represented a number of multi-national clients in global asset identification and recovery matters, and has extensive experience advising oil and gas producers and oilfield service and supply companies around the globe in connection with energy infrastructure projects.
Karl has represented clients on matters with touchpoints in more than 50 countries. These clients have included international oil companies, host country oil and gas producers, petroleum refiners, pipeline companies, oilfield service companies, security providers and energy investors; financial institutions; airlines and shipping companies; engineering, design and construction companies; equipment manufacturers; high-net-worth individuals; think tanks; sovereign wealth funds; and government and state-owned entities.
- District of Columbia
- Texas
- Virginia
- US District Court, Southern District of Texas
- US District Court, District of Columbia
- Senior Courts of England and Wales, Solicitor
- M.P.S., Georgetown University, 2021, Cybersecurity Risk Management
- Master Certificate, George Bush School of Government and Public Service, 2012, International Affairs (Intelligence Emphasis)
- J.D., Southwestern University School of Law, 1992
- B.A., Texas A&M University, 1989
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
Karl has represented clients on matters with touchpoints in over 50 countries. His representative examples include:
Business Resilience, Data Governance, Security and Privacy
- Counseled an upstream oil & gas production facility concerning penetration and red team testing. The advice included the performance of high-end penetration tests that mimic the work of sophisticated attackers based on a formal penetration testing methodology that emphasizes repeatable, actionable results.
- Represented a US Fortune 100 energy company as its incident response counsel, and performed cybersecurity maturity and insider threat assessment.
- Designed and played APT ransomware simulation tabletops for a Fortune 500 client. Performed vulnerability assessments; implement vertically and horizontally interacting multi-regional incident response teams operating on segmented communications platforms.
- Created a risk analysis report for a US-based energy company assessing its zero-trust vulnerabilities. Recommended tailored SIEM technologies based on threat intelligence and geopolitical threat vectors analysis.
Infrastructure
- Advised a major Middle Eastern oil producer concerning its EPC contracting strategies to upgrade its crude oil gathering and transport facilities.
- Designed an EPC-based tendering processes and project management procedures for a major Middle Eastern oil and gas producer to be used in its capital projects.
- Developed a suite of contracts for a national oil company that includes Lump Sum Turnkey, Cost-Plus, Re-Measurable, and Early Production Facilities Model Tender Packages.
Dispute Resolution Matters
- Provided counsel to a foreign state agency in asset tracking and recovery action in Europe and the United States
- Represented a European family office in a multi-jurisdictional asset recovery case.
- Represented a national energy company agency in an off-take agreement dispute in an International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes arbitration.
- Represented a contractor before the ICC in arbitration involving construction defects relating to the construction of a gas pipeline.
- Represented a project owner before the LCIA in a dispute arising out of constructing a gas gathering center in the Middle East.
- Provided counsel to an international engineering and design contractor in a dispute regarding the misuse of proprietary designs by a contractor.
- Provided counsel to a sovereign wealth fund in a multi-jurisdictional enforcement action.
- Provided counsel to an oil and gas service company against a manufacturer in an LCIA arbitration regarding a dispute with its vendors regarding the supply of multiple gas turbines.
News & Publications
Stepwise Risk Outlook
Sanctions Update: May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
By: Evan T. Abrams, Meredith Rathbone, Guy Soussan, Alexandra Melia, Darryl Nirenberg, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Quentin Johnson, Elli Zachari, Elliot Letts, Melissa B. Mahle, Anni Coonan, Thomas Goldstein, Zayna Dembinski, Wilson Zhao, Zoey Hong, Sophia Yang, Jonathan Eaton
International Compliance Blog
Treasury Department Announces CFIUS "Fast Track" Pilot Program for Foreign Investors
May 19, 2025
By: Steptoe's National Security & Cross-Border Transactions Practice
Stepwise Risk Outlook
The Diffusion Rule is Retired but AI Remains in Geopolitical Crosshairs
May 14, 2025
By: Thomas Goldstein
Stepwise Risk Outlook
Sanctions Update: May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025
By: Evan T. Abrams, Meredith Rathbone, Karl Hopkins, Guy Soussan, Alexandra Melia, Darryl Nirenberg, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Quentin Johnson, Elli Zachari, Elliot Letts, Melissa B. Mahle, Anni Coonan, Thomas Goldstein, Zayna Dembinski, Wilson Zhao, Zoey Hong, Hoi Chung Liu, Jonathan Eaton
International Compliance Blog
Weekly Sanctions Update: May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025
By: Evan T. Abrams, Meredith Rathbone, Karl Hopkins, Guy Soussan, Alexandra Melia, Darryl Nirenberg, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Quentin Johnson, Elli Zachari, Elliot Letts, Melissa B. Mahle, Anni Coonan, Thomas Goldstein, Zayna Dembinski, Wilson Zhao, Zoey Hong, Hoi Chung Liu, Jonathan Eaton
Stepwise Risk Outlook
Business Tops the Agenda for Trump’s Gulf Trip, Despite Conflicts
May 9, 2025
By: Anni Coonan
Stepwise Risk Outlook
US Deep Sea Mineral Mining Efforts Put it at Odds with International Authority, Global Rivals
May 7, 2025
By: Melissa B. Mahle
Stepwise Risk Outlook
May 5, 2025
By: Evan T. Abrams, Meredith Rathbone, Karl Hopkins, Guy Soussan, Alexandra Melia, Darryl Nirenberg, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Quentin Johnson, Elli Zachari, Elliot Letts, Melissa B. Mahle, Anni Coonan, Thomas Goldstein, Zayna Dembinski, Wilson Zhao, Zoey Hong, Isabella Rao, Jonathan Eaton
International Compliance Blog
Weekly Sanctions Update: May 5, 2025
May 5, 2025
By: Evan T. Abrams, Meredith Rathbone, Karl Hopkins, Guy Soussan, Alexandra Melia, Darryl Nirenberg, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney, Quentin Johnson, Elli Zachari, Elliot Letts, Melissa B. Mahle, Anni Coonan, Thomas Goldstein, Zayna Dembinski, Wilson Zhao, Zoey Hong, Isabella Rao, Jonathan Eaton
Stepwise Risk Outlook
US Shipbuilding Plans Reflect Tensions with China but Present Opportunities for Partners
May 2, 2025
By: Zayna Dembinski
Noteworthy
- JD Supra Readers' Choice Top Author 2023, Recognized as a Top 10 author for International Law
Professional Affiliations
- Atlantic Council
- General Counsel
- Executive Committee
- Nominating & Governance Committee
- Middle East Institute, Board of Governors
- General Counsel
- Executive Committee
- GLOBSEC
- Member of the Board
- General Counsel
- ASIS International
- American University Washington College of Law
- Technology, Law & Security, Board of Advisors
- Adjunct Professor
- Association of International Energy Negotiators
- Texas A&M University
- Chancellor's Advisory Board
- George Bush School of Government and Public Service, Advisory Board Member
- Adjunct Professor, Texas A&M Law School