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Thad McBride

Thad McBride advises public and private companies on the legal considerations essential to successful business operations in a global marketplace. He focuses his practice on counseling clients on compliance with U.S. export regulations (ITAR and EAR), economic sanctions and embargoes, import controls (CBP), and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). He also advises clients on anti-boycott controls, and assists companies with matters involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Thad supports international companies across a range of industries, including aviation, automotive, defense, energy, financial services, manufacturing, medical devices, oilfield services, professional services, research and development, retail, and technology. Beyond advising on day-to-day compliance matters, Thad regularly assists clients in investigations and enforcement actions brought by government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Commerce Department Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS), and the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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  • Boeing announces deal to sell aircraft to Iran Aseman
  • The deal was apparently authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department, but Congressional foes fight to block it
  • If the deal goes through, further loosening of sanctions could follow

This story begins in July 2015, when the United States and its allies entered into a now-famous nuclear agreement with Iran which, among other things, paved the way for the United States to scale back economic sanctions on Iran – including those relating to commercial aircraft.  Executing that deal, in January 2016, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a new, favorable licensing policy for many transactions relating to the sale of commercial passenger aircraft and related parts and services to Iran.Continue Reading The Long Road: Boeing Continues the March into Iran

  • One of largest export and sanctions penalties ever imposed
  • Reminder of U.S. government’s broad jurisdiction over export and sanctions matters
  • Cooperation could have helped ease the penalty significantly

On March 7, 2017, Chinese telecommunications company, Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corp. (ZTE), signed on to three separate settlement agreements with the United States, agreeing to pay $892 million for violations of U.S. sanctions and export controls. Even more could be due if ZTE strays from the commitments it has made under the settlement agreements.  This is one of the largest penalties ever imposed by the U.S. government for export and sanctions violations.

It is impossible in the space of this blog article to provide a detailed summary of this matter.  In addition, while the details of the matter would make good copy, we think (hope!) that this is something of an isolated incident.  At the same time, we think several lessons can be derived from this action.Continue Reading Lessons from the Historic ZTE Enforcement Action

  • Canadian bank pays penalties for U.S. dollar transactions involving Cuba and Iran
  • Bank receives Finding of Violation – but no penalty – for violations by European subsidiaries
  • Disclosure and cooperation with OFAC mitigated penalties

Earlier this month, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a $516,000 settlement with a large Canadian bank for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and Cuba 167 times. OFAC also issued a separate finding of 3,491 additional violations by two of the bank’s European subsidiaries – an investment services company and another small bank.  Yet OFAC imposed no penalty for the subsidiaries’ alleged violations.Continue Reading OFAC Sanctions: No Entity Too Small or Too Far for Enforcement

  • Virtually all U.S. sanctions on Sudan lifted effective January 17, 2017
  • Sanctions could be permanently lifted in six months
  • There continue to be practical challenges to doing business in Sudan

In an unexpected development, on Friday, January 13, 2017, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced changes to lift U.S. sanctions on Sudan and thereby pave the way for trade with the North African country. The U.S. government is authorizing virtually “all prohibited transactions [involving Sudan], including transactions involving property in which the Government of Sudan has an interest.” Moreover, the United States is dangling the possibility that sanctions could be permanently lifted after six months. The amendments, announced by Executive Order, became effective on Tuesday, January 17.Continue Reading Freaky Friday – U.S. Unexpectedly Eases Sanctions on Sudan

  • New sanctions prohibit U.S. business with designated cyber attackers
  • Russia opts not to retaliate for now
  • Congressional briefings, and Republican senators, may force Trump’s hand

For those of us who live and breathe U.S. economic sanctions, we are used to most people largely ignoring what goes on in our world.

The United States’ recent imposition of new sanctions against Russia, however, was not one of those times.Continue Reading Hey! Did You Hear? The United States Imposed Sanctions Against Russia

Effective December 23, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) amended the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) to expand the scope of medical devices that can be exported to Iran.

Now, unless specifically excluded by ITSR section 530(a)(3)(ii)-(iv), an item that qualifies as a “device” under section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 321) and is designated EAR99 (or would be if it were located in the United States) can be exported or re-exported to Iran without specific authorization from OFAC.  (Previous restrictions on payment terms and shipping dates remain in effect.)Continue Reading Happy New Year: OFAC Expands Exports of Medical Devices to Iran

In what may be a harbinger of things to come, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued new guidance regarding what may occur if the United States re-implements economic sanctions against Iran that were scaled back following the July 2015 nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). That guidance, in the form of two amended Frequently Asked Questions (M.4 and M.5, available here), makes clear that:

  • the United States will not retroactively impose sanctions for legitimate activity undertaken prior to any sanctions snapback;
  • continuation of previously legitimate activities following snapback could be penalized; and
  • the U.S. government intends to provide a 180-day period to wind down Iran business that was consistent with the lifting of U.S. sanctions under the JCPOA.

Continue Reading Happy (End of the) Holiday: OFAC Signals Potential Iran Sanctions Snapback

As a follow-up to a previous article, we’ve authored further details about the actions a company should take to respond to a discovered violation of U.S. sanctions. As pointed out in our article, while each enforcement action is different, “a company should consider their response to an OFAC violation an opportunity to attempt to mitigate…

We recently authored an article outlining steps a company should take to respond to a U.S. sanctions violation. The following actions are recommended:

  • Implement immediate remedial actions
  • Decide whether to self-disclose
  • Scope the internal investigation
  • Take corrective action
  • Negotiate with OFAC

The full article, “Responding to an OFAC Violation,” was published by Lexis Practice Advisor®.…

From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network
From the Bass, Berry & Sims Blog Network

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