If there is one issue that is repeated over and over (and over), it is third-party risks. Over the last ten years, we have witnessed an explosion in anti-corruption enforcement around the world. And with this enforcement...more
On April 29, 2021, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced settlements with German...more
Throughout 2020, the U.S. government continued to expand its trade-related sanctions programs and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) published 16 sanctions enforcement actions. We...more
Last week, the United States expanded sanctions on Iran’s financial sector by designating 18 major Iranian banks as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) and authorizing additional future sanctions on the Iranian financial...more
On 24 September 2020, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) announced a settlement with Keysight Technologies, Inc. (Keysight) for sanctions violations committed by its former subsidiary,...more
On 27 February 2020, the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) issued General License (GL) 8 authorizing certain humanitarian trade transactions involving the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) that are otherwise prohibited under...more
On June 13, 2019, OFAC announced a settlement with Expedia Group, Inc. for violations of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (“CACR”). (Available here). Expedia’s foreign subsidiaries assisted more than 2,200 individuals...more
Stanley Black and Decker (“Stanley”) and its Chinese subsidiary Jiangsu Guoqiang Tools Co. (“GQ”) agreed to pay approximately $1.9 million to settle OFAC charges that it violated the Iran Sanctions Program. The OFAC...more
On November 5, 2018, the United States reimposed all remaining nuclear-related sanctions against Iran that it had previously lifted in connection with its implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in...more
On 5 November 2018 the United States re-imposed the remaining nuclear-related secondary sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Iran that previously had...more
The United States has begun re-imposing nuclear-related sanctions with respect to Iran in connection with the expiration of the 90-day wind-down period announced alongside the United States' 8 May 2018 withdrawal from the...more
In furtherance of President Trump’s 8 May 2018 announcement that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—on 27 June 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s...more
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has tightened Iran sanctions. Specifically, OFAC revoked authorizations that (1) allowed foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies to do business in Iran;...more
On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) officially revoked General Licenses H and I. General License H previously allowed foreign owned or controlled subsidiaries of...more
On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the United States is pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”). The announcement will result in the reimposition of the sanctions that were lifted or waived...more
On December 12, a key deadline passed for Congress to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran, shifting the pressure back to the executive branch and setting new deadlines that will be critical to the fate of the...more
• This enforcement action highlights the heightened sanctions compliance and enforcement risk that companies face when engaging third-party consultants to perform due diligence on counterparties. U.S. persons must make clear...more
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced a $415,350 settlement agreement with COSL Singapore Ltd. (“COSL”). The parties settled a potential civil liability claim...more
A D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal’s panel recently issued a key opinion affirming the U.S. Treasury Department’s broad ability to enforce sanctions regulations through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). While the...more
A recent federal appeals court decision addresses a familiar issue for many companies: When can a U.S. exporter be liable for a product that is re-exported to a sanctioned country, such as Iran? This update summarizes the...more
If you are a foreign company that wants access to the U.S. financial markets, make sure you understand the U.S. Iran Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR). Administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of...more
In the final weeks of December, President Obama amended sanctions to both the Iran and Russia programs. These changes further relaxed sanctions on Iran while they tightened sanctions on Russia. Yet, just three days from the...more
On December 23, 2016, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a final rule amending the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) to expand the scope of permissible exports and...more
Effective December 23, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) amended the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) to expand the scope of medical devices that can be exported to...more
U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Berman denied a motion to dismiss the indictment in the closely followed criminal prosecution of Reza Zarrab, a Turkish/Iranian businessman charged with conspiring to evade U.S. economic...more