The growing use and sophistication of economic sanctions has made doing business on a global scale increasingly challenging. Financial institutions, multinational corporations, and shipping and manufacturing companies face a complex regulatory environment that can expose them to sanctions risk and result in significant monetary fines and long-lasting reputational damage. Identifying, understanding, and managing economic sanctions risk therefore is critical to safeguarding against negative outcomes.
K2 Integrity works with clients to address their most complex sanctions-related issues. Whether assisting a global shipping company manage its sanctions risks when selling and shipping products to a country subject to limited U.S. sanctions, assisting an interbank broker dealer mitigate sanctions risk arising from transactions involving debt on secondary markets, or helping a financial institution strengthen its sanctions compliance program, K2 Integrity’s professionals bring a unique perspective to each situation.
Our Team
Members of the K2 Integrity team have worked on sanctions at the highest levels of the U.S. government, including at:
- The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA), and the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crime (TFFC)
- The State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
- The White House at both the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Economic Council (NEC)
- In relevant committees in the U.S. Congress
K2 Integrity’s sanctions team draws upon deep expertise developed while working on sanctions matters at global financial institutions, global law firms, and multinational technology companies, and uses its wide-ranging operational risk management expertise to help clients manage and enhance their global sanctions risk management programs, including OFAC and European Union (EU) sanctions compliance, among others. Our experts bring this unique combination of experience and expertise to help clients navigate complicated and continually evolving sanctions regimes.
Sanctions Consulting and Guidance
Navigating the complexities of the various economic sanctions regimes requires the help of skilled practitioners to avoid regulatory scrutiny. K2 Integrity’s Sanctions Risk Advisory Services assist clients to identify, assess, and mitigate regulatory risks that emanate from international business. Our team of experts conducts business intelligence to help investors and companies better understand sanctions risk in their portfolios and businesses, develops compliance frameworks and innovative mitigation techniques that limit risk while better positioning companies to take advantage of business opportunities. Our experts also provide clients with sanctions trends assessments, based on the K2 Integrity team’s unique insights, to assist with compliance, planning, and other forward-looking business processes.
Sanctions Investigations
When an economic sanctions regulatory breach is suspected, K2 Integrity works with clients and their counsel to investigate. Our sanctions professionals are expert in conducting sanctions related investigations, including identifying and collecting the relevant documentary information, interviewing witnesses, analyzing shipping data, and analyzing financial records to trace transactions and the flow of money. Our independent reports of these investigations have been relied upon by counsel and regulators in connection with self-reporting potential violations.
Regulatory Monitorships
Regulators, both U.S.-based and those located outside the United States, are increasingly expanding the use of appointed independent monitors to assess, oversee, and monitor financial institution compliance with relevant laws and regulatory actions such as a written agreement, a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), a non-prosecution agreement (NPA), or a cease and desist order. K2 Integrity has a broad range of experience serving as an independent monitor for banks and other financial institutions, and as integrity or oversight monitor for corporate entities in construction, real estate, manufacturing, gaming, and the casino industries. K2 Integrity undertakes monitorships, brought in as part of a government settlement agreement, as a proactive measure, or as a condition for not pursuing criminal or civil charges, have the expertise to tackle a broad range of sanctions issues, including OFAC compliance and sanctions violations. We help clients comply with settlement terms and, on an ongoing basis, assess compliance programs and internal controls to address, help remediate, and avoid future economic sanctions problems.
Training
K2 Integrity helps financial institutions, jurisdictional authorities, and other stakeholders understand and manage heightened and evolving risks of economic sanctions and related regulatory regimes. Our training promotes an enterprise-wide culture of compliance and develops an elite community of financial crimes compliance risk management officers with the technical expertise, skills, judgment, and contextual understanding required to address changing risks. K2 Integrity sanctions experts provide:
- Access to a state-of-the-art library of sanctions training and reference content
- Training for boards of directors, compliance executive committees, and senior executives
- Introductory, baseline, and continuing education variants of training, including testing and certification for baseline training
With our unparalleled subject-matter expertise and diverse experience, K2 Integrity is uniquely positioned to provide clients with the full suite of sanctions and financial crimes compliance services and reduce the risks associated with engaging in commerce in the complex global regulatory environment.