Economic Sanctions & Export Controls

Any company—from start-up to large multinational—that engages in international trade or facilitates cross-border payments needs to be mindful of export control and economic sanction regulations. O’Melveny’s national security team offers comprehensive counseling on rapidly evolving trade controls, allowing clients to maximize global opportunities while minimizing compliance-related risks.

Our lawyers interact regularly with officials at the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and at the State Department to obtain licenses and clarify new rules and we provide guidance on registration notification and reporting obligations.

For clients seeking to mitigate risk, we conduct compliance audits and risk assessments for clients and design and implement trade controls compliance programs that are consistent with best practices and government expectations and tailored to a client’s business.

When concerns of potential trade control violations arise, we conduct internal investigations, assist with voluntary disclosures. And targets of civil, administrative, and criminal enforcement proceedings turn to us when they seek wise and experienced counsel.

True to O’Melveny’s multi-disciplinary approach, our team works regularly with our transactions teams to advise clients on trade controls issues that arise in particular transactions, assisting in due diligence, drafting and structuring transactions to address and mitigate risks for our clients in relation to export controls and economic sanctions.