Ali Burney

Practice Areas

Economic Sanctions | Export Controls | FCPA/Anti-Corruption | Anti-Money Laundering | Financial Services | Financial Services I Investigations & Enforcement | Sanctions Against Russia: Implications for Business and International Trade | Monitorship

Career

Ali Burney's practice focuses on representing US and non-US clients in the Asia-Pacific region on matters related to US economic sanctions, export controls, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws.

Ali has extensive experience representing clients in front of the US Department of Justice, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). His experience includes conducting cross-border investigations, filing voluntary self-disclosures, responding to subpoenas, obtaining OFAC licenses, conducting risk assessments, and representing individuals and companies seeking removal from OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) and the BIS Entity List.

Ali is ranked in Chambers – Greater China for Corporate Investigations. Clients report that "Ali is a practical and thoughtful lawyer, and his experience with the US government is immensely valuable," his "long track record in the commodities and financial services space has become timely, particularly over the past year" and that he is "very patient and diligent in his work."

He also frequently advises companies investing in high-risk sectors and countries on sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, and export control related pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition compliance program implementation.

Languages Spoken

English and Urdu

Work Highlights

Investigations & Enforcement

- Representing an Asia-based global oil and gas trading company in relation to a multi-agency sanctions-related investigation by DOJ, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the FBI.

- Successfully represented a Singapore-based commodity trader in front of DOJ and FBI relating to allegations of violations of US sanctions and anti-money laundering laws. As a result of the representation, DOJ issued a declination letter and the client did not have to pay a monetary penalty despite the fact that the initial allegations by DOJ and FBI suggested more than USD 200 million in suspect transactions over a five-year period.

- Successfully represented a South Asian refiner in relation to an inquiry from the State Department relating to a suspected shipment of Iranian crude oil. Following our submissions on behalf of the client, the State Department concluded its inquiry without any further action against our client.

- Represented a major European aircraft manufacturing company in relation to a regulatory investigation arising from alleged violations of US sanctions and export controls.

- Represented a major South American airline in relation to a regulatory investigation by the US Department of Commerce.

- Represented a Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturing company in relation to alleged violations of US sanctions and export controls.

- Represented major European and Middle Eastern banks in relation to regulatory investigations arising from alleged violations of OFAC sanctions programs.

Compliance & Advisory

- Advised a global mining company on a group-wide risk assessment of its compliance with US, UN, EU and UK sanctions, export controls and AML/CTF requirements.

- Served as US sanctions and export controls counsel to major international banks, logistics companies, commodity trading companies, and oil and gas companies.

- FCPA counsel to a solar power company with investments and projects throughout South Asia and South East Asia.

- Represented private-equity clients in connection with due diligence on highly complex M&A transactions in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa related to sanctions, AML, and anti-bribery and corruption issues.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

- Registered Foreign Lawyer, Hong Kong

- District of Columbia

- New York

Education