In today’s expanding global economy, companies increasingly need access to understandable and comprehensive advice on compliance and enforcement issues related to U.S., UK, and EU economic sanctions and export controls laws and regulations.
Wilson Sonsini’s team of export controls and sanctions attorneys in the U.S. and UK, anchored by several Chambers-ranked individuals is uniquely qualified to assist companies with a broad array of regulatory and compliance issues, including developing customized advice on how these regulations apply to their products, software, technology, and services; preparing for and conducting civil and criminal government investigations and enforcement actions; and developing easy to implement compliance policies and procedures to prevent such investigations and actions.
The firm’s clients, which range from large multinational companies to small start-ups, are leaders in a wide variety of sophisticated technologies and industries, including chemical and biotechnology, cloud service and SaaS providers, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, drones, marine and aerospace, electronic equipment, sensors, telecommunications and satellites, semiconductor design and manufacture, quantum computing, computer software and hardware, encryption, digital media and broadcasting, financial and investment services, and defense. Wilson Sonsini’s team has developed a nuanced understanding of how export control and economic sanctions issues affect these and other industry sectors. We position our clients to address diligence questions in these areas that help facilitate a variety of financings, mergers, and other investment transactions.
Our team provides practical guidance regarding compliance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), EU Dual Use Regulation, trade and economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), anti-boycott laws, the Foreign Trade Regulations, and Customs and international trade regulations. The firm’s attorneys regularly work with companies to resolve complex jurisdiction and classification issues, devise licensing strategies, design compliance programs tailored to specific client needs, provide employee compliance training, prepare voluntary disclosures, assist with transactional due diligence, obtain Customs rulings and country of origin determinations, and conduct internal audits and investigations. Further, we regularly advise and represent companies and individuals in enforcement-related matters, both administrative and criminal, before OFAC, OFSI, the Justice Department, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.