DLA Piper Partner Dean Fealk to Represent Silicon Valley at NATO Summit

SAN JOSE, CA, USA, June 10th, 2026, FinanceWire

Pre-Eminent Cross-Border Strategist Brings Region's Technology Leadership to the World Stage

Dean Fealk, partner at global law firm DLA Piper, will travel to Ankara in July as a delegate to the upcoming NATO Summit, representing Silicon Valley at one of the most consequential alliance gatherings in recent memory. 

The timing could not be more significant. As the alliance convenes in Ankara against conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, a backdrop of renewed great-power competition, evolving threats in the cyber and information domains, and urgent questions about the role of emerging technologies in collective defense, Silicon Valley's technologies — artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, and cybersecurity — are reshaping the very landscape the summit will address. Fealk's participation ensures that the region producing those technologies has a voice in the conversations defining how they will be governed, deployed, and protected.

Fealk will join a high-level international delegation including Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, former President of Croatia; Admiral Rob Bauer, former Chair of the NATO Military Committee; and Luis Rubio, Chair of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations — a grouping that reflects the summit's reach across the full spectrum of democratic security, civil society, and global governance leadership.

"This summit is not just about military posture or burden-sharing — but also the future of the Alliance, cooperation among democracies and technological leadership," said Fealk. 

A Delegation Spanning Security, Diplomacy, and Global Governance

Fealk's fellow delegates represent the breadth of expertise the alliance's current moment demands. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović served as President of Croatia from 2015 to 2020 and as NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, bringing direct knowledge of alliance politics and the challenges facing Central and Eastern European members. Admiral Rob Bauer, as former Chair of the NATO Military Committee — the alliance's highest military authority — offers unparalleled insight into the operational and strategic dimensions of collective defense. Luis Rubio, as Chair of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, represents a leading voice on hemispheric security, democratic governance, and the geopolitics of the Americas.

Together, the delegation embodies the kind of cross-sector, cross-border dialogue that Fealk has spent his career building. His presence alongside former heads of state, senior military commanders, and international policy leaders reflects both the standing he has earned in global security circles and the growing recognition that the technology sector must be an active participant — not merely an observer — in shaping the alliance's future.

Silicon Valley's Voice at the Alliance Table

A life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and board member of both the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) — widely regarded as the premier annual summit for democratic cooperation on security affairs — and the National Democratic Institute, Fealk has cultivated deep relationships with the civilian, military, and policy leadership shaping the alliance's direction. His co-founding of Transatlantic West, which has facilitated exclusive engagements with the NATO Secretary General and the President of the German Bundestag, established him as a trusted architect of the Europe–Silicon Valley relationship long before the current moment made that work urgent.

As geopolitical risk has migrated from the periphery to the center of corporate strategy, leading technology companies navigating challenges on the world stage increasingly turn to Fealk as a trusted strategic advisor. Over a 25-year career, he has guided clients through more than $50 billion in cross-border transactions — technology firms pressing into heavily regulated European markets, pharmaceutical companies navigating complex Asian approval environments, and financial institutions weighing political risk in economies where state policy and commercial reality are inseparable.

His citizen-statesman credentials are commensurate with that advisory role. In fall 2024, Fealk served as lead international election monitor in Moldova during the country's presidential election, held against the backdrop of Russian interference pressure and Moldova's aspirations toward EU membership. He headlined an international security conference in Taiwan — one of the most geopolitically sensitive fault lines in the world — and previously participated as a CEO delegate to APEC.

Bestselling Author and Nationally Recognized Thought Leader

A Wall Street Journal–bestselling author, Fealk was designated a "Chief Influencer" by the Communications Board for his thought leadership across major media platforms. His writing and commentary have appeared in Forbes, Fast Company, The Atlantic, and on National Public Radio (NPR), reaching audiences well beyond the legal community and positioning him as one of the most prominent voices at the intersection of law, geopolitics, and technology.

At DLA Piper, Fealk has led more than 100 international expansion projects across high tech, financial services, life sciences, and consumer products. As past chair of the Northern California District Export Council — appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce — he served point on $75 billion in annual regional exports. He continues to shape California's economic future through his service on the California Workforce Development Board, appointed by the governor.

About HFX

HFX’s mission is to strengthen strategic cooperation among the world’s democracies. At HFX, we believe that true security is achieved only when people enjoy the benefits of democracy, leading in turn to economic prosperity and lasting peace. Since 2009, HFX promotes greater understanding, builds trust and deepens ties through its unique and diverse international programming.

HFX is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC.

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