We help clients navigate and overcome complex legal challenges

WHAT WE DO:

The Eren Law Firm is a leading economic sanctions boutique law firm based in Washington, DC comprised of lawyers who have served at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Justice Department. Mr. Eren and Mr. Pinter of the firm served in senior positions at OFAC of the U.S. Treasury Department, the agency that administers U.S. economic sanctions, for a combined 30 years before entering private practice respectively, in 2000 and 2004. We are one of the world’s preeminent firms in the area of economic sanctions.

Mr. Eren and Mr. Pinter advise and represent financial institutions, financial services companies, and other clients with respect to all aspects of OFAC-administered U.S. economic sanctions as well as U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations. They also design OFAC and AML compliance programs and conduct risk assessments for clients, and represent clients in, among other matters, applications for OFAC licenses (such as for the unblocking of funds and accounts, and authorization for (exceptions to) prohibited transactions), OFAC and State Department interpretations, SDN list removal petitions, other sanctions relief; represents clients in sanctions and anti-money laundering enforcement proceedings, and in sanctions-related litigation.

In addition to economic sanctions, The Eren Law Firm’s other core areas of concentration and practice include corporate transactions, and international dispute resolution, anti-money laundering, and international trade regulation. The Firm’s clients from around the world include banks and financial institutions; insurance, reinsurance and other financial services companies; natural resource extraction companies, industrial companies, marine and air transportation companies, ship owners; sovereign governments; foreign state enterprises; individuals and persons on the SDN List.

Since leaving OFAC, Mr. Eren and Mr. Pinter have devoted and continue to devote most of their time in private practice to economic sanctions issues and matters, particularly those involving Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Mr. Pinter was OFAC’s Chief of Licensing for 17 years during which time he was one of the chief arbiters of OFAC decisions. Mr. Eren’s portfolio at Treasury mainly involved issues and matters related to Iran and the former Yugoslavia.

Complemented by Mr. Comras, who during his tenure at the State Department was the Director of Economic Sanctions Policy, Mr. Eren and Mr. Pinter also provide clients with a unique insight and perspective on the policies underlying sanctions, and help clients to see big-picture sanctions issues.

Our Expertise

Economic / Financial / Trade Sanctions (Preeminent Expertise)
Financial / Trade Regulation
Finance / Corporate
Dispute Resolution / Litigation
International Law

ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, EXPORT CONTROLS

The Eren Law Firm is comprised of lawyers with experience in the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC), the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Justice Department. Collectively, we have more than 60 years of experience dealing with international banking and financial issues such as economic sanctions and anti-money laundering laws.

We advise and represent clients in all aspects of US economic sanctions, US anti-money laundering laws, as well as US export controls, and other US financial/trade regulatory matters.

INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION AND INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Businesses invest globally, but foreign investment has always carried risk, including the lack of sufficient legal protection in emerging economies. Bilateral and multilateral trade agreements have provided some protection, but our clients need our expertise to obtain a fair resolution of any disputes in court or in arbitration.

In addition to helping clients resolve international disputes, we help clients prevent disputes in the first place. We analyze all relevant trade agreements to make sure that our clients take advantage of all relevant protections.

RECENT REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • Designed and collateralized U.S. economic sanctions compliance programs and
    conducted a risk assessment for two major protection and indemnity insurers
  • Designed and helped to implement a comprehensive U.S. economic sanctions
    and export control compliance program for the world’s largest courier company
  • Advised Chinese shipowners and charterers regarding the impact of U.S.
    secondary sanctions on specific voyages
  • Advised and represented (in conjunction with Canadian counsel) a European
    company regarding its acquisition of certain assets in Canada
  • Advised and represented (in conjunction with Moroccan counsel) a European
    client with respect to divestiture from its investments in Morocco
  • Advised the world’s largest independent oil trader on the global risks of its compliance program
  • Retained by a major U.S. financial services company to conduct an internal
    investigation and assess its existing sanctions compliance program, followed by an
    overhaul of the company’s compliance program
  • Provided ongoing U.S. economic sanctions compliance advice (Iran, Syria, Cuba,
    Sudan, and SDNs) on the permissibility of transactions and activities for several
    U.S., European, and Middle Eastern financial institutions, including the credit union
    of the United Nations
  • Defended and resolved enforcement matters for a major U.S.- and Canada-based
    manufacturer of construction equipment
  • Settled an enforcement matter for a major Dubai-based money transmitter, in
    which the OFAC rescinded a $9 million pre-penalty notice
  • Advised a client on its sanctions compliance program and the possible outcome
    and impact of a pending OFAC enforcement action before the company’s U.S. IPO
  • Prepared disclosures to the SEC on behalf of a Greek ship owner’s activities in or
    with Iran
  • Advised a client and its lender on its sanctions compliance program and on
    warranties, undertakings, and covenants limiting the use of funds in countries
    subject to U.S. sanctions
  • Advised a business on the suitability of a listing on the Hong Kong Stock
    Exchange in light of its past transactions with Iran
  • Advised a major U.S. insurer regarding SEC Iran OGSR and Section 219 disclosure
    requirements
  • Represented the CEO of an African natural resources company in connection with
    his appearance on the OFAC SDN list and petitioned successfully for his removal
    from the list
  • Helped obtain OFAC licenses for two companies exporting and re-exporting U.S.- origin aircraft and engines to Iran and Burma (Myanmar)
  • Represented a South Korean company before the OFAC for the release of
    blocked funds and, in a subsequent post-release of funds dispute about ownership
    of funds associated with an international funds transfer, obtained judgment in
    Federal Court, recovering all funds, against U.S. blocking bank and competing
    claimant in client’s favor
  • Defended an Iranian national accused of conspiring to violate the U.S. sanctions
    against Iran; the case was dismissed (criminal prosecution)
  • Defended an Asian company against potential criminal indictment for violating
    sanctions laws against Iran and convinced the DOJ not to pursue a criminal case
  • Defended an Iranian citizen in connection with his arrest in France and the U.S.’s
    subsequent request for his extradition related to charges of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran
  • Drafted and submitted an expert legal opinion to an Amsterdam court with
    respect to whether U.S. economic sanctions due diligence regarding oil trades
    conducted by two ABN Amro Group NV bankers in Dubai was proper and
    required; the legal opinion, submitted on behalf of the bankers, resulted in a
    victory and $1.41 million in compensation
  • Served as an expert witness in a Stockholm arbitration proceeding resolving a
    dispute arising out of U.S. economic sanctions between a Finnish company and the German subsidiary of a major U.S. industrial company
  • Served as an expert witness in a U.S. federal criminal trial of a U.S. citizen accused
    of violating the U.S. sanctions against an SDN
  • Advised a U.S. and Chinese company in connection with the Chinese company’s
    purchase of certain U.S. assets (CFIUS-Committee on Foreign Investment in the
    United States)
  • Provide regular advice to several U.S. companies on compliance with sanctions
    against Russia
  • Obtained OFAC licenses for oil rigs previous deployed in Iran
  • Advise a significant US litigation law firm on compliance with Iran sanctions
  • Regularly represent companies and individuals for OFAC licensing of their
    blocked funds
  • Represent entities against US dollar-clearing banks for wrongful blocking
  • Represent several Russian entities and individuals, and work with their Russian
    lawyers in connection with removal from the SDN List

EXPERTISE

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