John B. Reynolds

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Mr. Reynolds is a partner in Davis Polk’s Financial Institutions Group and the economic sanctions and national security practice. [Full Bio]

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On November 19, 2018, a group of five U.S. federal and state prosecutors and regulators[1] announced that they had reached settlements with Société Générale (“SocGen”) under which SocGen will pay penalties totaling $1.34 billion in relation to violations of U.S. economic sanctions concerning Iran, Cuba, Sudan and…
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On October 11, 2018, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a lengthy “Advisory on the Iranian Regime’s Illicit and Malign Activities and Attempts to Exploit the Financial System,” (the “Iran Advisory”), which provides examples and typologies of the Iranian regime’s exploitation…
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On October 5, 2018, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced that it had entered into an approximately $5.3 million civil monetary settlement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMC”) for apparent violations of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515, the…
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The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the federal banking regulators have taken a small step towards improving the BSA/AML compliance framework for depository institutions.  These agencies issued a Joint Statement on Banks and Credit Unions Sharing Resources to Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness of Bank Secrecy Act Compliance…
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The past two weeks have seen a number of developments with respect to U.S. sanctions relating to Russia, as the Trump administration has (1) taken additional steps to ameliorate adverse consequences for U.S. persons of the significant sanctions actions targeting Russian oligarchs announced on April 6, 2018; (2) further implemented…
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In response to feedback from financial institutions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Ruling granting exceptive relief (the Ruling) on September 7, 2018 to covered financial institutions from certain obligations under its beneficial ownership regulation, 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230 (the…
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On August 6, 2018, President Trump issued Executive Order (“E.O.“) 13846,  further implementing his May 8, 2018 decision to terminate the United States’ participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran (“JCPOA”). The following day, as certain re-imposed sanctions took effect, the President…
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On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced amendments to the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (“ITSR”), 31 C.F.R. part 560, and published updated answers to frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) to further implement President Trump’s May 8,…
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The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) has recently issued several new or amended Ukraine-/Russia-related General Licenses (“GLs”) and corresponding guidance related to the ongoing maintenance or wind down of certain activities involving GAZ Group and other blocked persons, and divestment of…
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On May 11, 2018, the customer due diligence rule, 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230 (the “CDD Rule”), issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN“) became applicable two years after it was issued.  The CDD Rule added a new requirement for covered financial institutions to identify,…
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