Economic Sanctions & Anti-Money Laundering

The United States administers and enforces numerous economic and trade sanctions based foreign policy and national security goals. Economic sanctions and related statecraft tools are aimed at threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the U.S.  

In addition to the country-based economic sanctions programs such as Burma, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, or Syria, among others, the U.S. maintains numerous watch lists of entities and individuals.  The watch lists include individuals or entities involved in terrorism, international narcotics trafficking, money laundering, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

There are special reporting rules of suspect transactions required of various U.S. and foreign financial institutions, money service businesses, and the insurance sector.  Universities and other non-profit entities, as well as and non-governmental organizations must also comply with these regulations.  

We have a great deal of experience in this area and can assist you with enforcement and litigation, compliance and training, as well dealing with the public policy challenges that may arise in this area such as the managing Congressional investigations.

U.S. Government websites of interest:

• Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
• Treasury Department, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
• Commerce Department, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Anti-Boycott Compliance (OAC)
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)