Episode 324 -- Third-Party Risks and Sanctions Compliance
FINCast Ep. 39 – State of Russia Sanctions Two Years After the Invasion
Understanding the Additional Risks When Making a Ransomware Payment
Looking The Other Way: Recent Cases Of AML And Sanctions Failings In Scandinavia
Episode 118 -- Update on OFAC Enforcement and Lessons Learned
The measure also harmonizes Russia sanctions rules with allies, and intensifies penalties against Iran - The National Security Act, 2024 (Pub. L No 118-50) was enacted on April 24, 2024. In addition to the Act’s provisions...more
OFAC is capable of extending a long-arm of enforcement, reaching sometimes non-U.S. companies that may “cause” another company to violate U.S. Sanctions laws. If you need to find an example of this long reach, look no...more
February saw a continuing focus on Russia. First, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in conjunction with the State Department, sanctioned over 500 individuals and entities – the “largest number...more
When it comes to OFAC sanctions violations, honesty is the best policy. Promptly and voluntarily disclosing violations upon their discovery can pay serious dividends. ...more
Within the trade bar there is cautiousness, curiosity and skepticism at the numerous pronouncements signaling greater enforcement of export controls and sanctions by the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Office of Foreign...more
On October 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied a petition for a panel rehearing en banc in a False Claims Act (FCA) suit that was dismissed in 2020. The whistleblower suit, filed in 2019, alleged...more
Emigrant Bank (“Emigrant”), a U.S.-based financial institution that bills itself as the oldest bank in New York City, is the latest sanctions violator to be swept up in OFAC’s ongoing enforcement push. On September 21, OFAC...more
The past few weeks have not been kind to 3M. The company recently settled with the SEC for $6.5 million to resolve alleged FCPA violations related to its Chinese subsidiary’s dealings with Chinese state-owned healthcare...more
The Justice Department has touted the upcoming wave of corporate prosecutions for criminal sanctions violation as the era of “The New FCPA.” DOJ’s reference is intended to communicate a strong message – companies are going to...more
Construction Specialties, Inc. (“CSI”), a U.S. company specializing in the sale of building materials, agreed to pay $660,594 to settle its liability for three violations of OFAC’s sanctions on Iran. CSI’s illegal conduct...more
July saw two noteworthy Russia enforcement actions. A Russian national was arrested in Estonia and extradited to the United States after being charged with conspiring to procure U.S.-origin technologies and ammunition on...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on July 26, 2023, issued a Tri-Seal Compliance Note...more
Over an eight-year period ending in 2018, Murad, a U.S. cosmetics company, illegally exported goods and services to Iran in 62 separate transactions worth approximately $11 million. Murad was acquired by Unilever United...more
The U.S Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently announced settlements with a California-based cosmetics company and a former senior company executive to resolve potential civil liability...more
You are reading the March 2023 edition of the Bass, Berry & Sims Enforcement Roundup, where we bring notable enforcement actions, policy changes, interesting news articles, and a bit of our insight to your inbox. March saw...more
Uphold is a California-based money service business. Uphold agreed to pay OFAC $72,230 to resolve multiple sanctions program violations....more
Cryptocurrency companies are in trouble. Regulators are bearing down on crypto companies with the Eye of Sauron – pulling the crypto companies into their jurisdiction, prosecuting fraud cases, and aggressively prosecuting...more
OFAC is off to a quick start in 2022. After announcing its Airbnb enforcement action in the beginning of January, OFAC announced a settlement with Sojitz (Hong Kong) Limited, a Hong Kong, China-based company that engages in...more
The long political and prosecution standoff between the U.S. Government/Department of Justice and Huawei/China ended abruptly last week when Wanzhou Meng, CFO of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. appeared in federal district...more
In two separate enforcement actions, OFAC announced settlements with Alfa Laval Middle East Ltd., a Dubai, UAE company (AL Middle East), and Alfa Laval, Inc., a Virginia-based company (AL US) for violations of OFAC’s Iran...more
The Justice Department’s National Security Division used the SAP comprehensive settlement of export control and sanctions violations to send a message – a loud and clear one....more
Alliance Steel, a US company based in Oklahoma, agreed to pay $435,003 to OFAC to settle violations of the Iran Sanctions Program. Alliance Steel is a designer and manufacturer of prefabricated steel structures....more
UniControl, Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio manufacturer of process controls, airflow pressure switches, boiler controls and other instruments, agreed to pay OFAC $216,464 to settle its liabilities for violation of the Iran Sanctions...more
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control continues to focus enforcement activities on digital currency companies. This focus is likely to increase given recent comments by Janet Yellen, the head of the...more
The Justice Department recently announced a settlement with Avnet Asia for illegal shipments of sensitive U.S. commodities to China and Iran. Under the settlement, DOJ agreed to a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) in exchange...more