Career Diplomat Samantha Carl-Yoder Joins Brownstein’s Washington, D.C., Office

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is pleased to announce that Samantha Carl-Yoder will be joining its federal Government Relations team in Washington, D.C., as a policy director, further enhancing its international relations practice. 

Carl-Yoder draws on her nearly 20 years of service at the U.S. State Department, working in both Washington, D.C., and embassies across the world, to build strategic partnerships for companies expanding domestically and overseas. Her sophisticated understanding of foreign policy and deep relationships with sovereign governments, third-party institutions and global media organizations is used to solve problems that require a multidisciplinary approach.

“Samantha’s significant foreign policy expertise and experience will help our clients overcome complex challenges both domestically and abroad,” said Marc Lampkin, Brownstein’s Government Relations Department chair. “Her success shepherding companies into new markets, developing bilateral partnerships and managing senior relationships with dignitaries will significantly contribute to the service offerings we’re able to provide our multinational clients.”

Carl-Yoder led the international government relations efforts of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company, engaging with high-ranking business and government officials around the world on commercial projects, including with stakeholders in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America. Prior to joining the private sector, she served for nearly two decades as a foreign service officer in Indonesia, Peru, Burma and Brazil. She also held senior positions in the Trump and Obama administrations, including serving as chief of staff to the undersecretary for political affairs at the State Department, chief of staff to the assistant secretary of state at the Bureau of Energy Resources and as a senior advisor to two deputy secretaries.

“Joining Brownstein’s growing international relations group in D.C. is a great fit for my previous State Department and international government affairs experience. I’m looking forward to working with clients whose needs cross continents,” added Carl-Yoder. 

Carl-Yoder earned her B.A. from Gettysburg College and master of public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.