OFAC Lawyers for Individuals & Businesses Facing U.S. Sanctions
Wire transfer blocked? Your bank is required to freeze it and report to OFAC within 10 business days — funds can be released through a false positive challenge, an unblocking petition, or a specific license, depending on the cause.
Added to the SDN List? All your US-linked assets and transactions are frozen indefinitely until you’re removed through a formal delisting petition — a process that can take months to years.
False positive (name match)? If you’re not actually on the SDN List, providing identity documentation to your bank typically resolves the block within 1–4 weeks.
We are OFAC Lawyers
OFAC lawyer Anatoliy Yarovyi has represented clients from all over the world. He has the knowledge and extensive experience necessary to solve your OFAC violations and economic Sanctions problem
Representing Clients Worldwide
We represent individuals and businesses across the U.S. and internationally — including clients in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia — in matters involving OFAC sanctions, blocked funds, and SDN list issues. Wherever you’re located, our team is available for a free consultation.
Who are OFAC Attorneys?
OFAC sanctions lawyers specializing in OFAC sanctions programs are indispensable partners for companies and individuals involved in international activities. Such specialists possess unique expertise in analyzing business processes to identify potential risks of OFAC investigations due to alleged violations of sanctions regimes. Additionally, they develop and implement specialized compliance programs to minimize risks and avoid possible penalties.
Working with a sanctions law firm on OFAC-related matters helps you stay within the law and build a sustainable strategy for conducting international business that complies with all requirements of U.S. sanctions legislation.
Advantages of Working with an OFAC Attorney
Consultations on sanctions
OFAC lawyers provide guidance on structuring international transactions, selecting partners, and conducting legal audits. This helps to prevent willful violations and ensures that all participants comply with sanctions legislation.
Risk Assessment and Management
Specialists analyze the company’s business processes, identify potential violations, and help minimize risks. This includes the development and implementation of compliance programs.
Legal protection
In cases of suspicions or sanctions violations, OFAC lawyers protect the company’s interests, develop a strategy, and represent the client before regulatory authorities.
Development of policy and control
Lawyers help create internal procedures and control mechanisms, including partner verification, employee training, and monitoring business processes.
Monitoring compliance with legislation
Regular updates of corporate policies and procedures are ensured to comply with changing legal requirements.
Obtaining licenses and permits
Preparation of applications for OFAC licensing and permits, allowing companies to continue operating within the legal framework.
Why do clients trust us?
We are not just a Law Firm specializing in sanctions, but your strategic partner in all OFAC matters. Our OFAC sanctions lawyers have deep knowledge and experience in the most complex situations, offering tailored solutions for your business. You can learn how OFAC lawyers work here.
We work proactively, preventing potential issues through the analysis of business processes and the creation of effective compliance programs. Speaking the language of business, we turn complex legal terms into clear recommendations so you can make confident decisions.
In any situation — from consultations to defending interests before regulators — we are on your side, doing everything possible for your safety and success. Your trust is our top value, which we justify every day. Our specialists are among the best OFAC attorneys, providing high-level services and helping our clients successfully solve the most complex challenges.
Meet our OFAC Attorneys
Anatoly Yarovyi is a highly experienced and accomplished attorney with two decades of professional expertise. His work spans law enforcement and intelligence operations, International Public Law, and human rights.
Dmytro Konovalenko is an attorney with more than five years of experience in defending clients against wrongful INTERPOL Red Notices and extradition requests. His practice covers various countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and the United States.
How We Work With Your Case
- We assess your situation.
Every case starts with a review of your specific circumstances — a blocked transaction, an SDN designation, a compliance gap, a pending license need, or an active investigation. We identify exactly what you’re dealing with and what’s at stake. - We map out your options.
Based on that assessment, we lay out the realistic paths forward — whether that’s a license application, an SDN removal petition, a compliance program, or a defense strategy — along with the likely timeline and requirements for each. - We handle the filing and follow-through.
We prepare documentation, submit petitions or applications, and communicate directly with OFAC, banks, or regulators on your behalf — keeping you updated at each stage until resolution. - We stay in your corner if things escalate.
If OFAC is actively investigating your business, our attorneys represent your interests directly in negotiations with regulators, drawing on extensive experience in sanctions disputes to protect your rights at every stage.
No two OFAC matters are identical — the scope of work depends on the complexity of your case. A straightforward false positive may be resolved with a single round of correspondence, while an SDN removal petition or an active investigation can involve months of filings, negotiations, and follow-up with regulators. We scope the work to what your case actually requires, not a fixed process.
What is OFAC?
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This organization is responsible for implementing and monitoring economic and trade sanctions against foreign states, individuals, and organizations that pose a threat to U.S. national security or foreign policy. These economic sanctions are aimed at protecting U.S. interests and can be applied to governments, terrorist organizations, drug traffickers, and other entities.
The primary mission of OFAC regulations is to ensure the national security of the United States by applying economic pressure on foreign entities that threaten the country’s security or violate international law. The organization oversees the enforcement of sanction programs aimed at restricting financial transactions of individuals and organizations listed on the Specially Designated National list.
The Legal Framework Behind OFAC Sanctions
Our work is grounded in the statutes, executive authorities, and regulations that give OFAC its power to block assets and restrict transactions. Understanding which authority applies to your case shapes the entire strategy — from a license application to an SDN removal petition.
- International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — the primary statutory authority behind most modern OFAC sanctions programs, allowing the President to regulate transactions during a declared national emergency.
- Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) — the older wartime authority still underpinning the Cuba sanctions program.
- National Emergencies Act (NEA) — governs how a President formally declares the national emergency that triggers IEEPA-based sanctions.
- United Nations Participation Act (UNPA) — allows the U.S. to implement UN Security Council sanctions resolutions domestically.
- Executive Orders — issued by the President to establish or expand individual sanctions programs (e.g., country-specific or activity-specific designations).
- 31 C.F.R. Chapter V — the Code of Federal Regulations where OFAC’s actual sanctions regulations are codified, program by program.
- Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act — a separate statutory basis for sanctions tied to narcotics trafficking.
- Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act — authorizes sanctions and SDN designations tied to human rights abuses and corruption.
This isn’t a complete list of every authority OFAC relies on — sanctions programs are frequently updated, and the applicable statute depends on your specific case. We identify the relevant framework as part of assessing your matter.
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FAQ
Can a non-US citizen hire an OFAC lawyer?
Yes. OFAC sanctions have extraterritorial reach — they apply not only to US citizens and companies but to any transaction that passes through the US financial system, involves a US counterparty, or is denominated in US dollars. This means that individuals and businesses outside the United States are frequently affected by OFAC blocks and enforcement actions.
Our OFAC attorneys represent clients from across the world, including those whose funds were frozen by a correspondent bank with no direct connection to the US beyond dollar clearing. If your account has been frozen or a wire transfer blocked with a reference to OFAC sanctions, you have the same legal options available to you regardless of your nationality or country of residence.
What is the difference between an OFAC license and SDN removal?
These are two distinct legal remedies that apply in different situations.
An OFAC license is an authorization granted by OFAC that permits a transaction which would otherwise be prohibited under sanctions regulations. It does not change your status — you or the counterparty may still be subject to sanctions — but it allows a specific action (releasing funds, completing a transaction, accessing a blocked account) to proceed legally. Licenses can be general (published and available to all) or specific (issued to a named applicant for a defined purpose). An OFAC licensing attorney prepares and submits the application and works with OFAC’s licensing division directly.
SDN list removal — also called delisting — is the process of having your name or your company removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals list entirely. This is a more involved process that requires demonstrating to OFAC that the basis for designation no longer exists, was made in error, or that circumstances have changed sufficiently to warrant removal. Successful SDN list removal lifts all sanctions-related restrictions permanently, rather than authorizing a single transaction.
In simple terms: a license is a workaround for a specific situation; delisting is a permanent resolution to the underlying designation.
What happens if my bank freezes funds under OFAC sanctions?
When a bank identifies a transaction or account as potentially linked to OFAC sanctions, it is legally required to block the funds immediately and report the action to OFAC within 10 business days. The bank cannot release the funds on its own authority — doing so would expose it to significant penalties.
From that point, you will typically receive a written notice from the bank stating that the funds have been blocked pursuant to OFAC regulations. The notice may be brief and contain little explanation of the specific reason for the block.
The steps that follow depend on why the block occurred. If it is a false positive — which is common, particularly for individuals with names similar to those on the SDN list — the resolution process involves providing the bank and OFAC with documentation establishing your identity and the legitimate nature of the transaction. If the block relates to an actual sanctions issue involving a counterparty or jurisdiction, an unblocking petition or specific license application will be required.
What you should not do: do not attempt to restructure the transaction, move funds through alternative channels, or pressure the bank to release the money without legal clearance. Any of these actions can trigger an OFAC investigation independent of the original block. Contact an OFAC attorney before taking any steps.
How long does it take to release OFAC blocked funds?
The timeline depends on the reason for the block and the method required to resolve it.
False positive — 1 to 4 weeks. The most common scenario: your name, your counterparty’s name, or a transaction detail triggered an automated sanctions screening system, but neither party is actually on the SDN list. Once your attorney submits the appropriate documentation to the bank — establishing your identity and the legitimate nature of the transaction — most banks resolve false positives within one to four weeks. Some cases close faster if the bank’s compliance team is responsive.
Unblocking petition — 4 to 12 weeks. If the funds were blocked because a party to the transaction has a genuine connection to OFAC sanctions, a formal unblocking petition must be submitted directly to OFAC. OFAC does not publish fixed processing times for petitions, but in practice most straightforward cases receive a response within 60 to 90 days. Cases involving larger sums, multiple parties, or complex ownership structures take longer.
Specific license application — 30 to 90 days, sometimes more. Where the transaction requires OFAC authorization rather than just documentation, your attorney files a specific license application with OFAC’s licensing division. OFAC’s published average processing time is approximately 90 days, though routine applications are sometimes resolved faster. Time-sensitive situations — such as medical payments, inheritance distributions, or imminent business losses — may qualify for expedited review, which your attorney can formally request.
SDN removal — 6 months to several years. If the underlying issue is that you or a counterparty is designated on the SDN list, full resolution requires a delisting petition. This is the most involved process and the longest — OFAC reviews the complete factual and legal basis for the designation, which can take anywhere from six months to several years depending on the complexity of the case and the sanctions program involved.
The single most important factor in reducing the timeline is acting immediately after the block occurs. Delays in gathering documentation, responding to bank inquiries, or identifying the correct legal remedy add weeks or months to every category above. Contact an OFAC attorney as soon as you receive notice that funds have been blocked.
Do you handle sanctions matters beyond OFAC, such as UN or UK (OFSI) sanctions?
While our core focus is U.S. Treasury/OFAC sanctions, many of our clients face overlapping issues under UN Security Council sanctions or the UK’s OFSI regime. We can advise on how these frameworks interact with your OFAC matter and coordinate with counsel in the relevant jurisdiction where needed.
Do you represent clients located outside the United States?
Yes. A large share of our clients are based outside the U.S. — including the Middle East, Europe, and Asia — since OFAC sanctions apply to any transaction touching the U.S. financial system, regardless of where you live. Consultations are available remotely, so there’s no need to find an “OFAC attorney near me.”
Do you handle cases involving Russia-related OFAC sanctions?
Yes, our team regularly represents individuals and companies affected by Russia-related OFAC sanctions programs, including SDN designations, blocked transactions, and license applications tied to Russian counterparties or ownership structures.
What’s the difference between an OFAC lawyer and a general sanctions attorney?
“OFAC lawyer” and “sanctions attorney” are often used interchangeably, but OFAC specifically refers to the U.S. Treasury division enforcing American sanctions. A sanctions attorney’s practice may also cover export controls (BIS/EAR) or sanctions regimes in other jurisdictions. Our practice is centered on OFAC matters, with experience extending into related sanctions and compliance issues.
Is OFAC the same as being on a criminal “sanctions” or watch list?
Not necessarily. Being “sanctioned” under OFAC means your assets are blocked and transactions with you are restricted — a civil/administrative designation, not a criminal charge. It’s separate from criminal watch lists or law enforcement holds, though the practical effect (frozen accounts, blocked payments) can look similar.
