On March 4, 2019, the U.S. State Department announced that, for the first time, it would permit actions under Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-114 (the “Libertad Act”), which authorizes U.S. nationals that own claims to property
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Economic Sanctions
Davis Polk Financial Services Regulatory Reform Tool—New Congress Edition
Financial services regulatory reform continues to evolve in 2019. As we observe the changing landscape, here is the New Congress Edition of our reference tool, which provides context and summarizes current developments across a range of key regulatory areas, agencies and actors. We will continue to track these issues and…
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OFAC Designates PdVSA
On January 28, 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) sanctioned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PdVSA”), Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, pursuant to Executive Order (“E.O.”) 13850 for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy, following a determination by the Secretary…
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OFAC Announces Intent to Delist Rusal and Other Entities Owned by Sanctioned Oligarch Deripaska
Posted in Economic Sanctions, OFAC
On December 19, 2018, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced its plan to lift sanctions on three Russian entities for agreeing to distance their businesses from a prominent oligarch. Specifically, OFAC informed Congress of its intention to terminate sanctions on entities previously designated for…
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First Step Toward Defining “Emerging Technology” Under Export Control Reform Act
On November 19, 2018, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (“ANPRM”) seeking public comment on “criteria for identifying emerging technologies that are essential to U.S. national security.”[1] The ANPRM was issued pursuant to the Export Control Reform…
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U.S. Prosecutors and Regulators Impose Second Largest Penalty Ever Levied Against a Financial Institution for Violations of U.S. Economic Sanctions
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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Davis Polk Financial Services Regulatory Reform Tool—Post Midterm Election Edition
Posted in Administrative Law, Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Capital, Bank Regulation, CFPB, CFTC, Community Reinvestment Act, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Dodd-Frank, Economic Sanctions, FDIC, Federal Reserve, Fintech, FSOC, Legislation, Liquidity, OCC, OFAC, Stress Testing, Swap Regulation, TLAC, U.S. Basel III, U.S. Congress, Volcker Rule
Financial services regulatory reform will continue to evolve in 2018 and 2019. As we observe the changing legislative landscape, here is the Post Midterm Election Edition of our reference tool, which provides context and summarizes current developments across a range of key regulatory areas, agencies and actors. We will continue…
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As Sanctions “Snap-Back” Approaches, FinCEN Advisory Emphasizes Risks to the U.S. and International Financial Systems Posed by Iran
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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OFAC Enforcement Action Highlights Risk of Indirect Sanctions Violations, Importance of Acting on “Red Flags”
Posted in Economic Sanctions
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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Russia Sanctions Updates
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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