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Alan represents clients in international trade and national security matters, government investigations and regulatory enforcement actions, and global trade disputes in the commercial and defense sectors. 

Alan is a trusted advisor to clients in many areas of international trade, including: 

  • Export Controls (ITAR/EAR/DOE/NRC and EU Dual-Use Controls)
  • Economic/Trade Sanctions Programmes (OFAC)
  • Foreign Direct Investment/National Security Reviews and Investigations (CFIUS)
  • Global Anti-Corruption Laws (FCPA and UKBA)
  • Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
  • Customs/Import Controls and CBP Seizure/Forfeiture Actions
  • Trade Remedy Disputes (AD/CVD and 󠆍§232 & §301 Tariff Strategies)
  • Anti-Boycott Restrictions (Commerce and Treasury)
  • National Industrial Security (NISPOM) Standards
  • Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Requirements
  • Arms Industry/Munitions Trade Compliance (ATF)
  • Aerospace and Autonomous Systems Development Strategies
  • Defense and Global Security Assistance Project Strategies
  • Trade Agreements and Foreign Market Access Strategies

Alan helps clients “get to yes” and capitalize on international market opportunities by guiding them through the necessary international trade requirements in a manner consistent with their risk tolerance and business objectives.  This often involves the establishment of tailored international trade compliance programs and risk mitigation strategies; advice on international product development and emerging technologies; assistance with export control jurisdiction, classification and licensing issues; guidance on the simultaneous navigation of multiple regulatory regimes; and identification of new market opportunities created by U.S. export control reforms, free trade agreements, or supply chain strategies.  Alan has been interviewed on international trade and national security topics by numerous publications and news outlets, including National Public Radio (NPR), Washington Post, Forbes, Bloomberg, and Law360.

Alan advises and defends clients through internal and government investigations of trade related matters, including potential violations of export controls, embargoes/economic sanctions programmes, customs regulations, global anti-corruption laws, and unsanctioned foreign boycott requests.  He also helps clients assess their obligations under post-FIRRMA CFIUS regulations and guides clients through the appropriate declaration, notice, and/or investigation phases of CFIUS national security reviews.  Alan has handled dozens enforcement disputes before the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He has also represented clients during external investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Alan represents domestic and non-U.S. clients in global trade disputes related to antidumping and countervailing duty litigation, including investigations, annual reviews, and scope rulings. He has litigated asset forfeiture cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and before U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Alan has also handled disputes for clients involving intergovernmental organizations, including contractual disputes with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as multiple cross-border commercial disputes. In addition to his experience with intergovernmental agencies, Alan has represented clients before Congress and other federal agencies on matters involving international relations, including initiatives focused on advancing political, economic, and human rights reforms in Central Asia.

Alan is a former U.S. Army special forces (green beret) soldier and is passionate about Veterans’ issues.

Professional & Civic Engagement

  • Member, Alabama District Export Council
  • Member, North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA)
  • Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Member, Alabama Bar Association
  • Member, Global SOF Foundation
  • Supporter, Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Thought Leadership

Speaking Engagements

  • “International Collaboration in the Defense Sector – Key Issues from a U.S. International Trade Controls Perspective,” Womble Defence Sector Network, Southampton, England (February 2024)
  • "Cross Border Trade Controls and Interagency Enforcement," American Bar Association (Criminal Justice Section) Southeastern White Collar Crime Institute, Braselton, Georgia (September 2023)
  • “Trends in U.S. Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Enforcement,” Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP Programme, Southampton, England (June 2023)
  • “ITAR Revisions and Impacts on Defense Trade,” Client Program, Mons, Belgium (May 2023)
  • “U.S. Economic Sanctions Update – Perspectives on Compliance and Enforcement,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Houston, Texas (May 2023)
  • "Sectoral Challenges for Global Trade: Export Controls, Economic Sanctions, and CFIUS," Zhong Lun Law Firm Global Seminar, Shanghai, China (April 2023)
  • "Foreign Military Sales Opportunities - Industry Collaboration Panel," North Alabama International Trade Association, Huntsville, Alabama (April 2023)
  • “U.S. Export Control Developments for Global Supply Chains,” China-U.S. Business Summit: Connecting the Eastern and Southern States, Houston, Texas (March 2023)
  • "International Trade: Navigating Obstacles and Maximizing Opportunities,” Womble Bond Dickinson Latin America Summit, New York, New York (March 2023)
  • “Sanctions and Export Control Enforcement Agenda: A Look at Legal and Policy Initiatives,” Moderator for U.S. Government Panel including The Honorable Matt Axelrod (Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement), Steve Francis (Acting Director for Homeland Security Investigations), Andrea Gacki (Director of Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control), and The Honorable Matt Olsen (Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice), American Bar Association National Institute on White Collar Crime, Miami, Florida (March 2023)
  • "Navigating U.S. Export Controls under the ITAR and EAR,” concurrent with IDEX 2023, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (February 2023)
  • Conference Chair and Speaker, “U.S. Economic and Trade Sanctions Overview,” “Export Control Key Issues Panel – Practical Ramifications for Companies” (moderator), and “Economic Sanctions Panel – Increased Risks to Multinational Companies” (moderator), North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA) Global Strategies Forum, Huntsville, Alabama (November 2022)
  • “Economic Security is National Security,” Womble Bond Dickinson Global Supply Chain Panel Discussion, Washington, D.C. (September 2022)
  • "Developing a “Get to Yes” Strategy for Your Investment Transaction,” Association of Corporate Counsel (National Capital Region) Advanced Topics Conference, Vienna, Virginia (September 2022)
  • “Economic and Trade Sanctions Overview – U.S. Perspective,” Lex Mundi Cross Border Investigations Practice Group Webinar – Views from Around the Globe (June 2022)
  • “Winning Work in the U.S.: Navigating the New U.S. Infrastructure Bill,” in conjunction with the Colombia American Chamber of Commerce and Gomez-Pinzon (June 2022)
  • “Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: Sanctions and International White Collar Crime,” WisteV and ABA Criminal Justice Section Conference, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (May 2022)
  • Moderator, “Global Threats & Export Enforcement: A Discussion with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod,” NAITA World Trade Week, Huntsville, Alabama (May 2022)
  • “Winning Work in the U.S.: Navigating the New U.S. Infrastructure Bill,” in conjunction with the Uruguayan Chamber of Construction and Guyer & Regules (March 2022)
  • “International Trade: CFIUS, Export Controls and Critical Supply Chains,” Southeastern Business Law Institute, Cumberland School of Law (October 2021)
  • “China Town Hall,” University of Tennessee/National Committee on U.S. China Relations (October 2021)
  • “U.S. Export Control Developments Impacting CFIUS Reviews and Technology Transfers,” Mackrell International White Collar Law Section Meeting (August 2021)
  • “China’s Emerging Export Controls and Sanctions,” TerraLex Global Trade Series Webinar (June 2021)
  • "International Trade Controls for Technology Companies," Innovate Huntsville Week, NAITA Webcast (February 2021)
  • "Evolving Foreign Trade Risks Under CFIUS: What Lies Ahead?," Celesq/West LegalEdCenter Webcast (February 2021)
  • "Technology Transfer Control Developments and the U.S.-China 'Trade War,'" University of Alabama System (Office of Counsel), Tuscaloosa, Alabama (December 2019)
  • "International Trade Update: How to Mitigate the Impact of Section 301 Tariffs," Moore Global Webinar (November 2019)
  • "U.S. Export Controls," Mississippi State University Office of Research Security, Starkville, Mississippi (October 2019)
  • Panelist, Lunch & Learn with The Consulate General of Canada: Update on Multilateral Trade Negotiations (USMCA and EU), § 232 Investigations, § 301 Tariffs, and FIRRMA Implementation, AlabamaGermany Partnership (October 2019)
  • "Recent Developments in Global Trade: U.S. Customs Issues and Defense Trade Controls," TerraLex Webinar (September 2019)
  • "Through the Looking Glass: A Glimpse at International Criminal Enforcement in 2019," American Bar Association (Criminal Justice Section) Southeastern White Collar Crime Institute, Braselton, Georgia (September 2019)
  • "What You Can Do if Your Company is Impacted by Section 301 Tariffs on Chinese-Origin Imports," German-American Chamber of Commerce Webinar (August 2019)
  • "Emerging Technology Export Control Developments," NAITA Trade Compliance Roundtable, Huntsville, Alabama (August 2019)
  • "Export Control Update: The 'Guns and Ammo' Rules - Pending Migration of Certain USML Category I, II, and III Defense Articles to Commerce Jurisdiction," Client Program, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (February 2019)
  • "U.S. Economic and Trade Sanctions Programs," AMEC Global Business Seminar, Barcelona, Spain (February 2019)
  • "FIRRMA Implementation Challenges: CFIUS National Security Reviews and Export Controls for Critical Technologies," Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Shanghai, China (December 2018)
  • "U.S. Economic Sanctions against Iran: Mitigating the Risk of Secondary Sanctions," Shandong Corporate Legal Risk Association, Jinan, China (December 2018)
  • "Update on U.S. CFIUS Review Process, Export Controls, and Economic/Trade Sanctions Programs," Jointide Law Firm, Qingdao, China (December 2018)
  • "CFIUS Pilot Program and U.S. Economic/Trade Sanctions – Challenges and Solutions," Fangda Partners, Shanghai, China (December 2018)
  • "Recent Developments Regarding Import Tariffs, CFIUS, Export Controls and Sanctions: US, EU and Canada," TerraLex Webinar (December 2018)
  • "Import Tariff Status and Exclusion Strategies, Changes to Foreign Direct Investment/CFIUS Reviews, the USMCA (the "new NAFTA"), and Developments to Key U.S. Economic and Trade Sanctions Programs," Independent Distributor Association's Annual Convention, Nashville, Tennessee (October 2018)
  • "Protecting Export Opportunities for Autonomous Systems," Drone World Expo 2017, San Jose, California (November 2017)
  • "Economic Sanctions: New Markets Bring New Challenges," North Alabama International Trade Association's 2017 Export Control Update Conference, Huntsville, Alabama (September 2017)
  • Moderator, "U.S. Government Defense and Space Programs with Foreign Participation – FMS v. DCS," North Alabama International Trade Association's 2017 Export Control Update Conference, Huntsville, Alabama (September 2017)
  • "Managing Risk and Preserving Opportunity: Export Controls and the NISPOM," Client International Trade Seminar, Birmingham, Alabama (March 2017)
  • "Ethical Issues Relating to Economic Sanctions Risks," Association of Corporate Counsel (Alabama Chapter), Birmingham, Alabama (November 2016)
  • "The Intersection of Technical and Legal Considerations in Commercial Drones," Drone World Expo 2016, San Jose, California (November 2016)
  • "Risk Mitigation Strategies for U.S. Economic/Trade Sanctions," Client International Trade Seminar, Savannah, Georgia (September 2016)
  • "Managing Third-Party Anti-Corruption Risk in Global Trade," Client International Trade Seminar, Savannah, Georgia (September 2016)
  • "U.S. Economic Sanctions and Export Control Reform," Doing Business in Cuba Seminar, Mobile, Alabama (September 2016)
  • "Global Anti-Corruption," Client International Business Seminar, Montgomery, Alabama (August 2016)
  • "International Contracting: Business Practices, Legal Parameters, and Financial Considerations," i4GovCon Summit, Tampa, Florida (March 2016)
  • "U.S. Export Controls: Defense, Dual-Use, and Reforms," Defense Acquisition University Winter Update, Huntsville, Alabama (February 2016)
  • "U.S. International Trade Compliance and Risk Mitigation," Export Alabama Alliance International Trade Leadership Series (December 2015)
  • "U.S. Export Controls and Risk Mitigation," University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama (October 2015)
  • "Regulatory Framework of U.S. International Trade Controls," North Alabama International Trade Association's 2015 Export Control Update Conference, Huntsville, Alabama (September 2015)
  • "International Trade Risk Mitigation," Lebanese American University New York Academic Center (August 2015)
  • "Multilateral Free Trade Agreements," Birmingham Business Alliance International Trade Council, Birmingham, Alabama (June 2015)
  • "Legal Aspects of International Business: Import and Export Controls," Export Alabama Alliance International Trade Leadership Series, Huntsville, Alabama (May 2015)
  • "Mitigating Business Risk in Sub-Saharan Africa," Gulf Coast Trade Alliance's World Trade Conference 2015: Doing Business in Africa, Pensacola, Florida (April 2015)
  • "Export Control Reform," Birmingham Business Alliance, Birmingham, Alabama (March 2015)
  • "How Export Control Reform has Changed the Compliance Landscape for Commercial/Dual-Use Exports," BAFT Southeast Global Trade Finance Workshop, Tampa, Florida (February 2015)

Publications 

  • Interview, “Exporters Reviewing Compliance Programs Amid Rise in Enforcement Scrutiny, Lawyer Says,” Export Compliance Daily, June 14, 2023
  • "New PAIP Act Requires U.S. President to Annually Report to Congress on Foreign Nationals Involved in the Theft of Trade Secrets from the United States, with Mandatory Sanctions to Follow" (March 2023)
  • “Russia and Belarus Targeted With Comprehensive Economic Sanctions and Export Control Restrictions: U.S., U.K., and EU Regulatory Update” (March 2022)
  • “Buy American Act in 2021: Key Changes and Future Outlook” (February 2021)
  • "How China's New Export Control Law May Impact Your Business," Global Trade (November 2020)
  • “The Impact of the WeChat Ban on Your U.S.-China Business Operations” (September 2020)
  • “CFIUS Update: Expanded Emphasis on U.S. Export Control Regulations” (September 2020)
  • "COVID-19 Trade Update: FEMA Implements Export Controls for PPE as CBP Issues Guidance Restrictions," Global Trade (April 2020)
  • “Final CFIUS Reform Regulations Formally Implemented” (February 2020)
  • "Commerce Rules May Heighten Network Security Enforcement," Law360 (January 2020)
  • "Winter 2019 U.S.-China Cybersecurity Update," Global Trade (November 2019)
  • "Foreign Investment Restrictions Update: New CFIUS Implementing Regulations Proposed by Treasury," Global Trade (October 2019)
  • "Critical Technology Transfers and the US Trade War with China," Birmingham Business Journal (September 2019)
  • "Economic Espionage and the U.S.-China Trade War," Global Trade (July 2019)
  • “Update on Section 301 China Tariffs” (July 2019)
  • “Updated Syria Advisory Warns Petroleum Shippers on Syria and Iran Sanctions” (March 2019)
  • "Concerns about U.S. Visas and Sanctions Programs - What Businesses Need to Know," AmCham Germany Yearbook 2019 (February 2019)
  • “Trump Spending Package Establishes New Section 301 “List 3” Tariff Exclusion Process; Improved Section 232 Exclusion Reviews” (February 2019)
  • "U.S. Economic Sanctions Update 2018," TerraLex Connections (February 2019)
  • “BIS Requests Comments on “Emerging” Technologies for CFIUS and Export Control Reforms” (November 2018)
  • “U.S. Economic Sanctions Update: Iran Nuclear Sanctions Re-Imposed; Russia Chemical Weapons Sanctions Timeline Unclear” (November 2018)
  • “NAFTA Renegotiation Concluded: Introducing the USMCA” (October 2018)
  • “Introducing the New CFIUS Requirements, as Approved by the U.S. House and Senate” (August 2018)
  • "Balancing Free Trade with National Security," The Alabama Lawyer (March 2013)

Honors & Awards

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Government Relations Practice (2021 - Present) and International Trade & Finance Law (2023 - Present)

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