International Trade Partner Christopher Wall Named a Top 25 Sanctions Lawyer in DC

“In 2019 alone, government agencies have levied just under $3.5 billion in penalties to companies deemed to have fallen foul of U.S. trade laws and regulations,” GIR reports.

The report adds that the level of activity demonstrates the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) more broad and aggressive targeting of companies across various sectors, when U.S. sanctions enforcement previously focused predominantly on shipping companies, financial institutions and natural resources multinationals.

With experts forecasting that OFAC will continue to more closely examine supply chains across industries, GIR writes that it’s as important as ever for companies to work with “specialist sanctions practitioners” who are well-versed in the maze of sanctions programs and who have significant sanctions experience, often from previous stints in federal enforcement roles.

In its profile of Wall, GIR notes that he focuses on export control regulations and has acted for major financial institutions in connection with all U.S. sanctions programs in the past 30 years. The publication also highlights Wall’s experience as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Export Administration at the U.S. Commerce Department.

To identify the top 25 most respected sanctions lawyers in DC, GIR surveyed dozens of practitioners and reviewed public information about the most significant current sanctions cases.