Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security, to Discuss Corporate Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policies for Export Control Violations

On January 16th, 2024, the Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement will host Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the United States Department of Commerce, at NYU School of Law for a discussion on corporate voluntary self-disclosure policies for export control violations. After delivering remarks, Assistant Secretary Axelrod will engage in a moderated fireside chat and will be taking questions from the audience.

Register here Pre-registration is required to attend.  

Following Assistant Secretary Axelrod’s remarks and fireside chat, there will be a moderated panel discussion by a panel of experts in export control enforcement in both the private sector and government. 

Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security

Matthew S. Axelrod currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, a position to which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in December 2021.

In this capacity, Matt leads a cadre of special agents and analysts dedicated to a singular mission – keeping our country’s most sensitive technologies out of the world’s most dangerous hands. Matt and his team help protect U.S. national security by enforcing the country’s export control laws. They work to prevent exports of sensitive goods and technologies that can be put to malign purposes like weapons-of-mass-destruction proliferation, military and military-intelligence applications, terrorism, and human rights abuses. They also work to ensure that U.S. persons do not participate in unsanctioned foreign boycotts. Matt also co-leads the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force that targets illicit actors, protects supply chains, and prevents critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.

Agenda

5:30 pm:  Registration

6:00 pm:  Remarks by Assistant Secretary Axelrod

6:25 pm:  Fireside chat with Assistant Secretary Axelrod and Joseph Facciponti, Executive Director, PCCE

6:50 pm:  Break

7:00 pm:  Panel on Corporate Enforcement Policy for Export Control Violations; Moderator: Joseph Facciponti, Executive Director, PCCE

Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Partner, International Trade and Government Contracts Group, Crowell & Moring LLP

Michael H. Huneke, Partner, Sanctions, Export Controls, and Anti-Money Laundering Group, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Sharon Cohen Levin, Partner, Criminal Defense and Investigations Group, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

John D. Sonderman, Director, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce

8:00 pm:  Reception

Panelist Bios

Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Partner, International Trade and Government Contracts Group, Crowell & Moring LLP

Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro is a partner in Crowell & Moring and a member of the firm’s International Trade and Government Contracts groups. She advises clients with respect to U.S. export controls, specifically Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and economic sanctions. Jana previously served in the Regulatory and Multilateral Affairs division of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC’s) Policy office at the U.S. Department of State. She works with U.S. and non-U.S. clients on all aspects of export compliance, including day-to-day compliance counseling, developing compliance programs, completing commodity jurisdiction and classification analysis, conducting export trainings, and performing M&A due diligence and coordinating related regulatory submissions. Jana works with clients across a broad range of industries, from traditional aerospace and defense manufacturers and multi-national software companies, to start-ups in the technology sector, and she regularly represents them before the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury in responding to government inquiries, conducting internal reviews, and in voluntary disclosures and compliance investigations.

Michael H. Huneke, Partner, Sanctions, Export Controls, and Anti-Money Laundering Group, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Michael H. Huneke is a partner in the Sanctions, Export Controls, and Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations practice groups at Hughes Hubbard & Reed. Mike advises clients on internal investigations related to anti-corruption, economic sanctions, and export controls laws or regulations; on proactive, preventative compliance program design and implementation; and on responding if necessary to external investigations. Mike also advises companies subject to post-resolution monitorships or other commitments, advises companies regarding the design and implementation risk-based strategies for due diligence, and assists companies with conducting or responding to pre- and post-acquisition anti-corruption, sanctions, or export controls due diligence and integration. Mike received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Mike is admitted to practice in New York, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Sharon Cohen Levin, Partner, Criminal Defense and Investigations Group, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Sharon Cohen Levin is a partner in the Firm’s Litigation Group and a member of its Criminal Defense and Investigations Group. She is a leading expert in anti-money laundering (AML), Bank Secrecy Act, economic sanctions and asset forfeiture matters. She represents a diverse group of clients, including financial institutions, multinational companies, and individuals in connection with criminal, regulatory, and civil enforcement actions. Her practice focuses on white collar and regulatory enforcement defense, internal investigations, and compliance counseling. Sharon is a former federal prosecutor and led the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for two decades. She led multiple significant prosecutions under the AML, economic sanctions and asset forfeiture laws, working hand in hand with federal and state banking regulators, the Office of Foreign Asset Control, and other investigative and regulatory authorities. As an internationally renowned leader in her field, Sharon has provided training to U.S. and foreign governments and private and public companies and served on numerous occasions as a keynote speaker, panelist or lecturer at events related to money laundering, asset forfeiture, AML compliance, terrorist financing, and other related topics.

John D. Sonderman, Director, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce

John Sonderman a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2011, serves as the Director of the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), Bureau of Industry and Security at the US Department of Commerce, an agency comprised of dedicated professionals responsible for enforcing laws and regulations pertaining to export enforcement. With 26 years of experience as a Supervisory Special Agent, his primary responsibility is to protect national security by overseeing all aspects of OEE's operations. This includes investigating violations, prosecuting offenders, intercepting illegal exports, and educating individuals involved in export transactions on compliance practices. In collaboration with BIS licensing officials and policy staff, OEE works diligently to prevent the export of items that could potentially compromise national security and foreign policy objectives. His extensive background, including previous positions at the Office of Defense Trade Controls, US Department of State, equips him with valuable expertise in his role. He holds a Master's degree from American University and has received numerous accolades, including five Department of Commerce Gold Medals and two National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citations.