Vinson & Elkins has a comprehensive Export Controls & Economic Sanctions practice with extensive experience representing clients in investigations, enforcement matters, litigation, counseling, and public policy issues arising in connection with the full range of U.S. export controls and trade sanctions. Our team represents clients on matters involving all relevant federal agencies, including the Department of State (DOS) Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Census Bureau, and the various agencies of the intelligence community.
We advise clients in connection with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the numerous sanctions programs and regulations administered by OFAC, the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), and related areas, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and Foreign Military Financed (FMF) sales.
Our clients include domestic and multinational corporations, universities, and individuals involved in regulated transfers of equipment,
software, and technology. We assist clients across a wide range of industries, such as defense,
intelligence, aerospace, automotive, energy, shipbuilding, electronics,
computer hardware and software, e-commerce, media, consumer sporting goods and
retail, and telecommunications. Our
lawyers have developed numerous compliance programs tailored to our clients’
profiles and trained company employees regarding the operation of U.S. export
controls laws and economic sanctions regulations. V&E’s Export Controls & Economic Sanctions lawyers have handled many notable enforcement actions, both
criminal and civil, involving the ITAR,
the EAR, OFAC sanctions, and the FTR. We have handled
sensitive internal investigations and disclosures involving DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and Census. Clients have called on V&E’s
team to conduct both large and small government-mandated audits of their export
controls and sanctions compliance. Our
lawyers have substantial experience in licensing, hardware and technology
jurisdiction determinations at DDTC, commodity classification requests at BIS,
and seeking advisory opinions from OFAC.
Lawyers in V&E’s Export Controls & Economic Sanctions practice
are well known by industry coalitions, export-focused trade groups, government
regulators responsible for administering and enforcing U.S. export and
sanctions laws, and individuals in academic circles. Over the past several years, we have provided
training to hundreds of corporate and government export controls specialists
through seminars and law school instruction.