UK Imposes New Russia Sanctions on 86 People and Companies, Including Metal and Diamond Industries

Annabel Thomas is an experienced commercial litigator with a strong background in corporate disputes and civil fraud. She represents clients on matters involving asset-tracing and injunctive relief; partnership disputes; competition law; and regulatory/disciplinary litigation. She also handles company and shareholder disputes (including unfair prejudice claims, breach of directors' duties, JV disputes, LLP disputes and breach of warranty and indemnity claims), as well as insurance disputes (including coverage, subrogated recovery and brokers' negligence). Annabel's practice covers litigation in the high court, as well as arbitral proceedings. She is experienced in both defending and bringing claims, often involving multiple jurisdictions and applications for interim relief, including freezing injunctions, search & seizure orders, disclosure orders and security for costs. Annabel’s clients include UK and overseas-based high-net-worth individuals and corporates from a range of sectors including energy, media, finance, real estate, IT, manufacturing, and retail. She is recognised as a Thought Leader by Who's Who Legal for Asset Recovery 2021.

Gavin Costelloe is a senior associate in Greenberg Traurig’s White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice in London. Gavin is a former lawyer and prosecutor for the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Gavin advises companies and individuals on internal, government and regulatory investigations and compliance issues related to the UK Bribery Act, fraud, market manipulation, anti-money laundering, economic sanctions, and other serious and complex cross-jurisdictional matters. Gavin has considerable experience assisting with diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and other investments including in jurisdictions with high corruption risk. Gavin’s practice is focused on business crime investigation, defence, compliance, and risk mitigation. This includes assisting companies with internal, government, and regulatory investigations (including those conducted by the SFO, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)), individual defence for senior executives and compliance professionals, and devising and implementing internal training and compliance progammes. Gavin is experienced in liaising with overseas law enforcement including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG), as well domestic UK law enforcement, in relation to parallel investigations.

Bethany Histed focuses her practice on commercial litigation, civil fraud, and complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. She has worked on complex contentious cases of significant value involving allegations of fraud, conspiracy, breach of fiduciary and directors’ duties, breach of contract, claims under the Insolvency Act 1986, and unfair prejudice petitions under section 994 of the Companies Act 2006. Bethany also has experience of dealing with asset disclosure and preservation issues. Bethany acts for a wide range of clients including high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients. Her experience includes seeking and defending freezing and proprietary orders and seeking other interim injunctive relief such as third-party disclosure orders; Norwich Pharmacal orders; delivery-up orders; and computer imaging orders. Bethany also has experience acting for high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients in relation to competition, tax, and employment disputes.

Jack Myers joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in September 2021.

Kara Bombach assists companies and organizations to lawfully export goods, technology and services around the globe. She places emphasis on helping clients achieve practical, workable solutions to complex regulatory situations arising under anti-corruption and anti-bribery measures (U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and OECD Convention), export control laws (EAR and ITAR), anti-boycott laws, and special sanctions (embargoes) maintained by the U.S. government (OFAC and other agencies) against various countries (including Iran, Cuba and Russia), entities and individuals. In cases of foreign investment in the United States, Kara advises on the Exon-Florio provisions relating to U.S. national security concerns. She represents companies before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and also assists clients in mitigating foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) as may be required by CFIUS or U.S. national industrial security regulations. Kara regularly represents clients in matters before U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, Treasury and Defense. Kara has significant experience representing individuals and entities before OFAC in delisting matters and challenges to OFAC sanctions designations. She advises national and multi-national companies (including Fortune® 5) on best practices in the development and delivery of compliance policies and procedures, training, and risk assessments, as well as executing cross-border export, sanctions and anti-corruption due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, targeted internal risk assessments, and compliance investigations. Kara also counsels international not-for-profit and relief/aid organizations on best practices in economic sanctions, trade, and anti-corruption compliance issues that arise in their global operations, frequently in challenging and austere environments. She has provided legal services to organizations such as Save the Children (US), ONE Campaign, Mercy Corps, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Not on Our Watch/The Sentry, and The Enough Project.

Erik de Bie is an attorney-at-law focused on international trade, customs and VAT matters. Erik counsels clients in European trade, export control, sanctions, customs, VAT and excise duty related matters, including litigation. He concentrates his practice on developing and implementing European savings programs, setting up and restructuring European distribution and supply chains, improving and structuring customs, excise duty and VAT related compliance, and limiting risks and liabilities. Given the developments in European legislation and the needs of his clients, Erik is frequently involved in cross-border matters, including obtaining certification as Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), implementing customs bonded warehouse regimes and counseling on VAT issues. Erik represented (and represents) many companies before Dutch Tax and Customs Courts, the Dutch Supreme Court, the European Commission, and the European Court of Justice.