Sanctions have become a key tool used by many governments and treaty organizations to achieve foreign policy and national security objectives, both in times of peace and conflict. Such laws have global reach and impact international trade far beyond the territory of the countries that impose sanctions.

Our experience with sanctions is international, and extensively with United States and European Union law. We also have expertise in emerging sanctions countermeasures taken by countries negatively impacted by such laws.

We advise not only on sanctions relevant to our clients' activity, but also help clients keep up with the policy and political landscape and rapidly changing and sometimes conflicting sanctions that impact their business.

Export and import controls are complex and highly technical. Though many are law in countries around the world based on treaties, export controls - and particularly emarging import controls - have grown exponentially outside treaty obligations to become a key tool applied by governments in tandem with sanctions. As with sanctions, export and import controls reach deep into international trade.

We have extensive experience advising on both United States and European Union export and import controls and on both dual use and arms control regulation. 

Our work is focused on the specific needs of our clients based on their products, operations and international markets of activity.

Sanctions and export controls risk varies by industry, business domicile and with whom a business interacts. Risk appetite is specific to each business based on its model and strategic vision.

We assist our clients in diverse industries understand and assess their sanctions and export controls risks and provide strategic counsel on setting clear risk appetite. We guide management in establishing a sustainable and consistent sanctions and export controls policy that sets the foundation for a business's approach to sanctions and export controls.

We also provide strategic counsel in helping our clients understand emerging risk based on geopolitical developments and coming change in sanctions and export controls laws.

Sanctions and export controls violations carry stiff penalties and can jeopardize relations with clients, vendors, banks and business partners. 

We help with and advise on sensitive internal investigations and provide counsel to mitigate ongoing violations, provide strategetic counsel on voluntary self disclosures and coordinate with local counsel in filings and regulator interaction.

Though most functions in a business can be impacted by sanctions and export controls, staff should not be burdened with being full-time sanctions and export controls experts at the expense of their primary roles. 

We provide common-sense and user-friendly sanctions and export controls training to diverse staff functions across a business. Our training is tailored to a business's specific profile and designed to ensure sanctions and export controls issues are effectively and efficiently managed within our clients' sanctions and export controls compliance program.

Our training is also tailor-made to audiences, ranging from management-level orientation to both basic and detailed trainings for different staff.

In addition to our trainings, we also advise on e-learning vendors and interact with vendors on behalf of our clients to ensure e-learnings are clearly tailored for purpose.

An effective and efficient sanctions and export controls compliance program based on a business's clearly defined risk appetite is the operational backbone to mitigate risk.

We advise on all facets of compliance programs, including ensuring the right screening tools are used and that tools screen the right information, setting up effective and easy-to-apply  procedures for all facets of program facets, ensuring the right front-line staff are responsible for daily compliance operations and ensuring they're competently and effectively trained and that a compliance program is sustainable and reslient in the face of audits and regulator scrutiny.

Sanctions and export controls have become increasingly prominent globally and many complex transactions have issues relevant to sanctions and export controls. Such issues can be sensitive sticking points in strategically important negotiations.

We assist our clients in understanding and assessing sanctions and export controls risks in their complex transactions and business relationships, including with financial institutions and in joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. We advise on the nuances of contractual provisions to mitigate risk and in negotiating these provisions. We also assist in ensuring continued risk mitigation in ongoing relations with business partners and banks.