Many nonprofit organizations operating across borders have to cope with the complex web of U.S. sanctions programs and the processes for obtaining licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), in order to conduct transactions that would otherwise be prohibited under U.S. law. These processes, always difficult, have become much more challenging during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This webinar, recorded on September 30 2020, brought together legal experts, including a former OFAC licensing chief, an in-house counsel at an NGO, and a defense attorney who represents clients in both criminal and civil cases involving alleged violations of OFAC and BIS regulations. Together they:
  • Provided an overview of the legal and procedural framework of the licensing processes at OFAC and BIS;
  • Offered tips on navigating those processes, and
  • Explored ways in which these processes can be improved.

View the webinar recording.

Additionally, you can find the speakers’ slides below:

About Our Speakers:

Amelia Schmidt, Counsel, Kaiser Dillon 
Ms. Schmidt is a white-collar criminal defense lawyer with a particular focus on cases with complex regulatory issues, including government contracts and export control regulations. She represents both individual and corporate clients in internal and government investigations and in trial and appellate litigation. She also works on legal ethics and professional responsibility matters and represents clients in complex civil litigation. In August 2020 she was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as an up and coming practitioner to watch in White-Collar Criminal Defense. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she clerked for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York and was an associate at Crowell and Moring, LLP.
Andrea Al-Attar, Law Office of Andrea T. Al-Attar, P.C.
Ms. Al-Attar advises corporations, individuals, and non-profit organizations on how to navigate the challenges presented by the ever evolving set of U.S. laws and regulations affecting international trade, including U.S. economic sanctions laws. Ms. Al-Attar is familiar with the licensing and enforcement processes at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) where she served as a section chief in OFAC’s Licensing Division. In this role, Ms. Al-Attar was responsible for managing a team of licensing officers reviewing license applications and requests for interpretive guidance received under the Iran and Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction sanctions programs. Ms. Al-Attar has also previously worked in OFAC’s Enforcement Division as an enforcement officer. In addition has been an associate at two global law firms, Milbank LLP and Allen & Overy LLP. Additional information about Ms. Al-Attar is available on her website: www.alattarlaw.com.
Sarah Dada, Deputy General Counsel, International Medical Corps
Sarah Dada is the Deputy General Counsel at International Medical Corps, an international humanitarian NGO with a presence in approximately 30 countries globally. In this role, Ms. Dada advises the organization on a multitude of legal issues, including sanctions, export compliance, and licensing needs and strategy. Prior to joining International Medical Corps, Ms. Dada was a litigation associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles.