• A new Executive Order signed October 14, 2019, authorizes U.S. sanctions related to the military conflict between Turkey and Syria, providing broad authority to impose sanctions against Turkish government agencies,...more
• In a further escalation of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela in support of its efforts to oust the regime of Nicolás Maduro, on August 5, 2019, the Trump administration imposed comprehensive sanctions on the Government of...more
8/19/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Blocked Entities ,
Blocked Person ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela
• On April 8, 2019, the U.S. government announced its intention to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective April 15, 2019. This unprecedented action will result...more
4/15/2019
/ Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) ,
CAATSA ,
Foreign Policy ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Terrorist Threats ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
• On January 28, 2019, OFAC added the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company PdVSA to its SDN List.
• As a result, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with PdVSA and entities that...more
2/6/2019
/ Blocked Person ,
Bonds ,
Capital Markets ,
Debt-Equity ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
SDN List ,
Securities Transactions ,
State-Owned Enterprises ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela
• On November 27, 2018, the Trump administration issued an executive order establishing a new sanctions regime against Nicaragua.
• This occurs as the Trump Administration has articulated an approach to Latin America in...more
• As of November 5, 2018, the United States concluded the second of two wind-down periods for re-imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran following the May 8, 2018, announcement that the United States would cease participation in...more
11/27/2018
/ Aircraft ,
Blocking Statutes ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Goods or Services ,
Humanitarian Assistance ,
Imports ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
SDN List ,
Special Purpose Vehicles ,
SWIFT ,
Trade Policy ,
Trump Administration ,
Vessels
• On August 6, 2018, following President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the JCPOA, the U.S. government announced the reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s automotive sector, its trade in gold and precious...more
8/17/2018
/ Blocking Statutes ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Executive Orders ,
International Relations ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Secondary Sanctions ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
Winding Down ,
Withdrawal
• On May 21, 2018, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on the Government of Venezuela in response to the reelection of President Maduro and the “deepening humanitarian and public health crisis” fueled by the Maduro...more
• The U.S. government has withdrawn from the Iran Nuclear Deal and reverted sanctions to the status quo ante by re-imposing secondary sanctions that restrict non-U.S. persons from engaging in a broad range of business in...more
5/10/2018
/ Controlled Foreign Corporations ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Trade Policy ,
Trump Administration
On January 12, 2018, the U.S. administration took three actions relating to Iran -
• First, President Trump waived again the application of certain nuclear sanctions while making clear that the United States will refuse to...more
• Effective October 13, 2017, President Trump declined to provide certification that the JCPOA is in the United States’ national interest. Following this “decertification,” the U.S. Congress has 60 days in which to introduce...more
11/2/2017
/ Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Decertify ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Iran ,
Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA) ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Legislative Amendments ,
Members of Congress ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SDN List ,
Sunset Provisions ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
Based on certain State Department findings, effective October 12, 2017, long-standing U.S. sanctions on the Republic of Sudan administered by OFAC under the Sudan Sanctions Regulations will be terminated, and U.S. persons...more
10/13/2017
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Commerce Control List ,
Commodities ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Exports ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Secretary of State ,
Sudan ,
Trade Restrictions ,
Trump Administration ,
TSRA
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Alere Inc. Agrees to Pay More Than $13 Million to Resolve SEC FCPA Enforcement Action -
On September 28, 2017, Alere Inc. (“Alere”), a Massachusetts based manufacturer of medical diagnostic...more
10/10/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Consent Agreements ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
De Minimus Quantity Exemption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Iran ,
ITAR ,
NCAA ,
North Korea ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Retailers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Semiconductors ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Customs ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Alere Inc. Agrees to Pay More Than $13 Million to Resolve SEC FCPA Enforcement Action -
On September 28, 2017, Alere Inc. (“Alere”), a Massachusetts based manufacturer of medical diagnostic...more
10/10/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Consent Agreements ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
De Minimus Quantity Exemption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Iran ,
ITAR ,
NCAA ,
North Korea ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Retailers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Semiconductors ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Customs ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Alere Inc. Agrees to Pay More Than $13 Million to Resolve SEC FCPA Enforcement Action -
On September 28, 2017, Alere Inc. (“Alere”), a Massachusetts based manufacturer of medical...more
10/4/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Consent Agreements ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
De Minimus Quantity Exemption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Iran ,
ITAR ,
NCAA ,
North Korea ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Retailers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Semiconductors ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Customs ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
MTS Receives DOJ and SEC Declination Letters Concluding FCPA Investigations -
On August 7, 2017, MTS Systems (MTS), a Minnesota based maker of test systems and industrial position...more
9/2/2017
/ Africa ,
Anti-Corruption ,
Appeals ,
China ,
Civil Liability ,
Compelled Testimony ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Exports ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Freight Forwarding ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Hong Kong ,
IPSA ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Libor ,
New Legislation ,
North Korea ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Payment Processors ,
Russia ,
Sanction Violations ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Singapore ,
South Africa ,
Trump Administration ,
Venezuela ,
Whistleblowers
On August 2, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (Pub. Law. No. 115-44, H.R. 3364) (the “Act”), which significantly expands economic sanctions against...more
8/9/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Arms Embargo ,
Congressional Override ,
Cyber Sanctions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Exports ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Relations ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
North Korea ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Privatization ,
Russia ,
SDN List ,
SSI List ,
State-Owned Enterprises ,
Syria ,
Trade Restrictions ,
Trump Administration
On July 31, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the addition of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to its list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons...more
8/7/2017
/ Asset Freeze ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Government Officials ,
Obama Administration ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Venezuela
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Linde Group Receives DOJ Declination Pursuant to FCPA Pilot Program -
On June 16, 2017, German based chemical and gas company Linde Group’s American affiliates, Linde North America Inc....more
7/4/2017
/ AIG ,
Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Corruption ,
Criminal Penalties ,
Cuba ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) ,
Fines ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Kokesh v SEC ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Theft ,
Trade Secrets ,
Trump Administration ,
White Collar Crimes
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Steven Peikin Reported to Become Co-Director of SEC’s Enforcement Division -
On May 26, 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that recently confirmed Commissioner Jay Clayton will hire...more
6/12/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Czech Republic ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Espionage ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
General-Business ,
Guilty Pleas ,
International Trade ,
Money Laundering ,
NAFTA ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Public Comment ,
Sanction Violations ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
Singapore ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes ,
World Bank
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Steven Peikin Reported to Become Co-Director of SEC’s Enforcement Division -
On May 26, 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that recently confirmed Commissioner Jay Clayton will hire...more
6/12/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Czech Republic ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Espionage ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
General-Business ,
Guilty Pleas ,
International Trade ,
Money Laundering ,
NAFTA ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Public Comment ,
Sanction Violations ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
Singapore ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes ,
World Bank
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS -
Steven Peikin Reported to Become Co-Director of SEC’s Enforcement Division -
On May 26, 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that recently confirmed Commissioner Jay Clayton will...more
6/1/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Czech Republic ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Espionage ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Money Laundering ,
NAFTA ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Public Comment ,
Sanction Violations ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ,
Singapore ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes ,
World Bank
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS –
Former Magyar Telekom Executives Settle Bribery Charges –
On April 24, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that two former executives of Magyar Telekom, a...more
5/2/2017
/ Administrative Resignation ,
Bribery ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Exports ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Guilty Pleas ,
Illegal Activity ,
Jones Act ,
Kokesh v SEC ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Penalties ,
Red Notices ,
Sanction Violations ,
SCOTUS ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Settlement ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Steel Industry ,
Suspensions & Debarments ,
Trade Deficit ,
Trade Expansion Act of 1962 ,
Trump Administration
Anticorruption Developments -
SEC Chairman Nominee Jay Clayton Receives Confirmation Hearing -
On March 23, 2017, SEC Chairman Nominee Jay Clayton testified before the Senate Banking Committee at his confirmation...more
4/4/2017
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Arrest ,
Bribery ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
FinCEN ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Investors ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Petrobras ,
Sanction Violations ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Sentencing ,
Split of Authority ,
Telecommunications ,
Trump Administration ,
Ukraine ,
Whistleblowers
Acting SEC Chief Limits Subpoena Authority to Enforcement Division Acting Director -
On February 15, 2017,The Wall Street Journal reported that the acting Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Michael...more
3/2/2017
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Conflict Mineral Rules ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Rescission ,
Resource Extraction ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration ,
Whistleblowers