- What is new: The EU adopted its 18th sanctions package against Russia and Belarus, imposing asset freezes on 55 additional individuals and entities, expanding sectoral sanctions and introducing new restrictions targeting...more
The EU and UK sanctions regimes on Russia continue to expand as both jurisdictions seek to increase pressure on President Putin. As with previous recent packages, Russia’s military, energy and financial sectors have again...more
6/3/2025
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Controls ,
HM Treasury ,
National Security ,
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) ,
Russia ,
Sanctions ,
UK
The UK’s sanctions regimes remain dynamic as they continue to respond to geopolitical changes. In recent weeks, the UK has enhanced its Russia sanctions, despite the uncertain direction of the international sanctions on...more
5/7/2025
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Compliance ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
HM Treasury ,
National Security ,
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) ,
Risk Management ,
Russia ,
Syria ,
UK
The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its sanctions policy toward Russia by implementing two rounds of restrictive measures that are intended to further intensify pressure on Russia’s government and economy. Specifically,...more
3/18/2025
/ Asset Freeze ,
Compliance ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Bans ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Institutions ,
International Trade ,
National Security ,
Oil & Gas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Russia ,
UK ,
Ukraine
The future of international sanctions on Russia is not settled. Whilst the representatives of the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia on 18 February 2025 to discuss possible avenues to peace in Ukraine, the foreign ministers of...more
2/25/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Compliance ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
Sanctions ,
UK
On 6 November 2024, the UK government published its guidance on the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence, which was introduced in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023).1 We covered the details...more
The past weeks and months have brought about tremendous political change in the West, as we move toward a new U.S. administration, a new College of Commissioners in Brussels and a new Polish presidency of the Council of the...more
11/13/2024
/ Capital Markets ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Financial Institutions ,
Middle East ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Russia ,
Sanctions ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
Ukraine ,
US Trade Policies ,
Whistleblowers
What is the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive?
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) is a pivotal European Union directive that mandates human rights and environmental due diligence...more
11/5/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Human Rights ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
On 27 September 2024, the UK’s financial sanctions regulator, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), announced that it had issued its first monetary penalty for a breach of UK financial sanctions imposed...more
The UK government introduced a major overhaul of its framework for addressing financial crime — and brought into force numerous significant changes — when the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the Act)...more
9/12/2024
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Corporate Crimes ,
Corporate Entities ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Failure to Prevent ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
Strict Liability ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
On 31 July 2024, the UK government broadened its Russian sanctions regime, giving the government express power to impose sanctions on persons who provide financial services, or make available funds, economic resources, goods...more
In Nuctech Warsaw (T-284/24), the EU Court of Justice held that EU subsidiaries can lawfully be required to provide access to email accounts and data held by their overseas parent company. The ruling involved the following...more
8/26/2024
/ Appeals ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Foreign Corporations ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
Historically, multinational companies and those lobbying on their behalf mostly concerned themselves with the U.S. and Canadian legal frameworks for lobbying. But more and more jurisdictions are establishing increasingly...more
Below is a summary of recent developments and enforcement trends in the UK white collar crime space in the first quarter of 2024.
I. New Legislation -
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA)...more
On March 26, 2024, the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) published a guide on how to engage in corporate sponsorship and charitable donation activities while appropriately mitigating corruption risks (the Guide)...more
5/13/2024
/ AFA ,
Anti-Corruption ,
Charitable Donations ,
Cooperation ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
EU ,
France ,
Internal Investigations ,
New Guidance ,
Self-Reporting ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
On 22 February 2024, shortly before the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK government published its first sanctions strategy (the Strategy). The Strategy explains the UK’s use and implementation of...more
3/12/2024
/ Belarus ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Foreign Policy ,
International Trade ,
Licensing Rules ,
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Russia ,
Sanctions ,
UK ,
Ukraine
On 26 October 2023, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the Act) became law in the UK. The Act represents a major overhaul of the UK government’s framework for tackling financial crime and has brought into...more
2/26/2024
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Corporate Crimes ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Financial Crimes ,
Investigations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
UK ,
White Collar Crimes
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearing the end of its second year, the United Kingdom has continued to introduce sanctions measures against Russia, with the latest round announced on 14 December 2023....more
1/22/2024
/ Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Financial Institutions ,
General Licenses ,
Oil & Gas ,
Oil Prices ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Russia ,
Sanctions ,
Trade Restrictions ,
UK ,
Ukraine
Representatives from the French and U.S. governments, judiciary and private sector discussed early lessons from the 2022 reform of the so-called French “blocking statute” at a Skadden roundtable in Paris on 27 November...more
DOJ Increases Resources To Investigate and Prosecute Sanctions Evasion and Export Control Violations -
On March 2, 2023, during a keynote speech at the American Bar Association’s annual White Collar Crime National...more
3/17/2023
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Entities ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
International Trade ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
Self-Disclosure Requirements ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK ,
Voluntary Disclosure
On January 17, 2023, U.S. law enforcement authorities in Miami arrested Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian national and the founder and majority owner of Hong Kong-based virtual currency exchange Bitzlato Ltd., on charges of money...more
2/7/2023
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Financial Crimes ,
FinCEN ,
Law Enforcement ,
Money Laundering ,
NDAA ,
Patriot Act ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virtual Currency ,
White Collar Crimes
In light of the recent referendums and purported annexation by Russia of four territories of Ukraine on September 30, 2022, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union have expanded measures and provided additional...more
10/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
UK ,
Ukraine
Since the publication of our March 24, 2022, and March 17, 2022, client alerts, the U.S., U.K. and European Union, among other allied nations, have imposed additional sanctions and export controls on key elements of the...more
5/2/2022
/ Blocking Sanctions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
UK
Since the publication of our 9 March 2022 client alert, the US, UK and EU and other allied nations have imposed additional sanctions and export controls on key elements of the Russian economy. This client alert summarizes the...more
3/25/2022
/ Asset Freeze ,
Belarus ,
Blocking Sanctions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Controls ,
Russia ,
Tariffs ,
UK ,
Ukraine
The European Union Blocking Statute was originally adopted in 1996 to counteract US sanctions on Cuba, Iran and Libya, but following a memorandum of understanding entered into between the EU and the US, it has seldom been...more