Export Controls & Sanctions
We advise on all aspects of export controls, economic sanctions and international trade compliance. Combining legal expertise with first-hand experience in international trade and regulated industries, we provide practical advice on the regulatory and commercial challenges of cross-border transactions.
Our practice covers EU and Austrian export control and sanctions law, including dual-use and product classification, licensing requirements, end-use and end-user assessments, sanctions screening, trade and sectoral restrictions, technology transfers and internal compliance programmes. We assist clients in assessing complex transactions, identifying regulatory risks and implementing effective compliance measures. Where U.S. rules may become relevant, we also advise on the interaction with U.S. sanctions and export control regimes, including OFAC, BIS and ITAR requirements, in coordination with specialized U.S. counsel where appropriate.
A particular focus of our practice lies at the intersection of sanctions, banking and international payments. We advise on sanctions-related banking and payment restrictions, blocked or rejected transactions, correspondent-banking issues and compliance requirements imposed by financial institutions. We also assist in structuring and assessing cross-border payments and transactions to ensure that legitimate international business can be carried out in compliance with applicable sanctions and export control rules.
For matters involving the United States, we have access to an established network of U.S. sanctions and export-control counsel, former government officials, compliance specialists and government-relations professionals. This enables us to coordinate U.S. proceedings and strategic engagements, including OFAC licensing and delisting matters, applications for the release or unblocking of assets, BIS licensing procedures and engagement with relevant U.S. authorities and policy stakeholders.
Our approach is risk-based and commercially focused. We support clients not only in assessing individual transactions, but also in conducting sanctions and counterparty due diligence, developing and reviewing compliance frameworks and responding to potential compliance incidents. Drawing on longstanding experience in international trade, including the defence and firearms sector, as well as the life sciences, aviation, technology and industrial sectors, we understand export controls and sanctions as an integral part of international business rather than an isolated regulatory exercise.