Robert Slack
202-970-3010
rslack@fenwick.com
Partner
Trade & National Security
Robert
Slack
Robert
Slack
Partner
Trade & National Security
Rob advises clients on a broad variety of international trade matters, including economic sanctions, export controls and trade compliance. He has significant experience conducting global investigations and audits, designing and implementing export and sanctions compliance programs, classifying products, and counseling clients on compliance with evolving trade regulations. Rob has deep experience working with technology companies, from startups to multinational companies, on mission critical trade matters, as well as companies in the manufacturing, financial, telecommunications and materials sectors, among others.
Rob often represents clients before the key export-regulating bodies, including the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Prior to joining Fenwick, Rob was a partner at an Am Law 200 firm. Rob also worked as a law clerk and export compliance analyst with the firm’s in-house economics and international trade consultancy.
- “Lessons From SAP's Multiagency Illegal Export Penalty,” Law360, May 2021 (co-author)
- “The Devil's in the Details,” Petroleum Economist, September 2017 (co-author)
- "Resellers Must Heighten Their Sanctions Due Diligence," Law360, March 2016 (co-author)
- "New U.S. Policy on Armed Drone Exports Steals the Spotlight – but Changes are Coming for Commercial UAS Too,” The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, March 2015 (co-author)
- “Lessons From SAP's Multiagency Illegal Export Penalty,” Law360, May 2021 (co-author)
- “The Devil's in the Details,” Petroleum Economist, September 2017 (co-author)
- "Resellers Must Heighten Their Sanctions Due Diligence," Law360, March 2016 (co-author)
- "New U.S. Policy on Armed Drone Exports Steals the Spotlight – but Changes are Coming for Commercial UAS Too,” The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, March 2015 (co-author)
- Conducted an internal investigation of a global technology company’s compliance with OFAC’s internet communications general licenses, resulting in a VSD process before OFAC
- Obtained specific licenses from OFAC on behalf of clients, including authorization related to the provision of online services to embargoed countries by a U.S. technology company
- Conducted a global internal investigation of compliance with U.S. sanctions regulations for a U.S.-based financial services company, resulting in a successful VSD process before OFAC
- Advise software and cloud computing companies on how to identify potentially sanctioned users on their platforms
- Counseled a technology company on compliance with OFAC general licenses regarding services incident to communications over the internet
- Advised a global internet advocacy non-profit on compliance with sanctions regulations
- Obtained required licenses from OFAC to ‘unblock’ a global manufacturing company and its assets following the imposition of U.S. Russia-related sanctions
- Assisted a money transfer company with the assessment of its OFAC compliance program and the roll out of enhanced policies and procedures related to SDN screening, personal remittance general licenses, reporting, and other sanctions issues
- Designed, assisted with the implementation of, and audited technology companies’ sanctioned party screening programs
- Conducted an internal investigation of an e-commerce company’s compliance with OFAC and BIS regulations and managed the resulting VSD process
- Advised a major sports league on compliance with U.S. sanctions issues, including those related to the informational materials exemptions and related general licenses
- Counsel non-U.S. companies in a variety of industries, including in the technology, metals and mining, shipbuilding, materials, manufacturing, and finance sectors, on compliance with secondary sanctions and the extraterritorial application of U.S. trade compliance rules
- Conducted global risk assessments and on-going quality assurance monitoring for an international financial services company
- Counseled a non-U.S. telecommunications company on compliance with U.S. sanctions, including the various telecommunications and related general licenses to OFAC’s regulations
- Counseled U.S. and non-U.S. companies regarding the wind down of transactions and operations following the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran and new primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and Venezuela
- Conducted an internal investigation and resolved the related enforcement matter for a chemical company regarding alleged diversion of products to Iran
- Counseled a global intellectual property services company on compliance with OFAC’s regulations, including the various general licenses applicable to patents and trademarks
- Advised companies on U.S. sectoral sanctions affecting the Russian financial and energy industries and targeted sanctions on Venezuela
- Conducted sanctions and trade compliance risk assessments during M&A due diligence processes for clients in a variety of industries, including the financial, energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors
- Assisted U.S. financial institutions with responses to administrative subpoenas from OFAC and other U.S. government agencies and with related enforcement matters
- Conducted an internal investigation of a global technology company’s compliance with OFAC’s internet communications general licenses, resulting in a VSD process before OFAC
- Obtained specific licenses from OFAC on behalf of clients, including authorization related to the provision of online services to embargoed countries by a U.S. technology company
- Conducted a global internal investigation of compliance with U.S. sanctions regulations for a U.S.-based financial services company, resulting in a successful VSD process before OFAC
- Advise software and cloud computing companies on how to identify potentially sanctioned users on their platforms
- Counseled a technology company on compliance with OFAC general licenses regarding services incident to communications over the internet
- Advised a global internet advocacy non-profit on compliance with sanctions regulations
- Obtained required licenses from OFAC to ‘unblock’ a global manufacturing company and its assets following the imposition of U.S. Russia-related sanctions
- Assisted a money transfer company with the assessment of its OFAC compliance program and the roll out of enhanced policies and procedures related to SDN screening, personal remittance general licenses, reporting, and other sanctions issues
- Designed, assisted with the implementation of, and audited technology companies’ sanctioned party screening programs
- Conducted an internal investigation of an e-commerce company’s compliance with OFAC and BIS regulations and managed the resulting VSD process
- Advised a major sports league on compliance with U.S. sanctions issues, including those related to the informational materials exemptions and related general licenses
- Counsel non-U.S. companies in a variety of industries, including in the technology, metals and mining, shipbuilding, materials, manufacturing, and finance sectors, on compliance with secondary sanctions and the extraterritorial application of U.S. trade compliance rules
- Conducted global risk assessments and on-going quality assurance monitoring for an international financial services company
- Counseled a non-U.S. telecommunications company on compliance with U.S. sanctions, including the various telecommunications and related general licenses to OFAC’s regulations
- Counseled U.S. and non-U.S. companies regarding the wind down of transactions and operations following the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran and new primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and Venezuela
- Conducted an internal investigation and resolved the related enforcement matter for a chemical company regarding alleged diversion of products to Iran
- Counseled a global intellectual property services company on compliance with OFAC’s regulations, including the various general licenses applicable to patents and trademarks
- Advised companies on U.S. sectoral sanctions affecting the Russian financial and energy industries and targeted sanctions on Venezuela
- Conducted sanctions and trade compliance risk assessments during M&A due diligence processes for clients in a variety of industries, including the financial, energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors
- Assisted U.S. financial institutions with responses to administrative subpoenas from OFAC and other U.S. government agencies and with related enforcement matters
- Advise technology and software companies on U.S. export control rules applicable to cloud computing platforms
- Advise U.S. and non-U.S. technology companies on compliance with U.S. end use and end user export control restrictions, including those related to the Entity List, semiconductors, and advanced computing
- Advise technology companies on compliance with export controls related to encryption, quantum computing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and open source development
- Advise U.S. technology companies on the hiring of foreign nationals from export-controlled destinations
- Conducted a global internal investigation, VSD process, and follow-up audits for a materials company regarding violations of the U.S. export control regulations administered by BIS
- Advised manufacturers, exporters, and global distributors of U.S.-origin encryption equipment, software, and technology on compliance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and EAR classification, licensing, and reporting requirements
- Designed and conducted a 45-facility audit of a global manufacturing company for compliance with U.S. export control and sanctions rules, among other global auditing projects
- Conducted an internal investigation for an optics manufacturer resulting in a successful VSD process involving DDTC
- Obtained required export licenses for manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles from U.S. export control agencies
- Conducted a global export control classification project for a manufacturer of capital equipment that involved the classification of millions of line items under the U.S. EAR, ITAR, and nuclear regulations
- Obtained favorable jurisdictional and classification rulings from NNSA and NRC regarding non-U.S. nuclear power plant projects
- Advise technology and software companies on U.S. export control rules applicable to cloud computing platforms
- Advise U.S. and non-U.S. technology companies on compliance with U.S. end use and end user export control restrictions, including those related to the Entity List, semiconductors, and advanced computing
- Advise technology companies on compliance with export controls related to encryption, quantum computing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and open source development
- Advise U.S. technology companies on the hiring of foreign nationals from export-controlled destinations
- Conducted a global internal investigation, VSD process, and follow-up audits for a materials company regarding violations of the U.S. export control regulations administered by BIS
- Advised manufacturers, exporters, and global distributors of U.S.-origin encryption equipment, software, and technology on compliance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and EAR classification, licensing, and reporting requirements
- Designed and conducted a 45-facility audit of a global manufacturing company for compliance with U.S. export control and sanctions rules, among other global auditing projects
- Conducted an internal investigation for an optics manufacturer resulting in a successful VSD process involving DDTC
- Obtained required export licenses for manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles from U.S. export control agencies
- Conducted a global export control classification project for a manufacturer of capital equipment that involved the classification of millions of line items under the U.S. EAR, ITAR, and nuclear regulations
- Obtained favorable jurisdictional and classification rulings from NNSA and NRC regarding non-U.S. nuclear power plant projects
Recognition Recognition Recognition
Recognition Recognition Recognition
Recognition
Chambers USA
2017 – 2023
Recognized for International Trade work related to Export Controls & Economic Sanctions
Legal 500
2021 – 2022
Recognized for work in International Trade
Recognition
Chambers USA
2017 – 2023
Recognized for International Trade work related to Export Controls & Economic Sanctions
Legal 500
2021 – 2022
Recognized for work in International Trade