Maura is US Head of Sanctions.

She advises clients – financial institutions and corporates alike – on a wide range of matters implicating economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), foreign investment in the United States regulated by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), export controls, anti-corruption, and money laundering.

Maura’s practice is multidisciplinary and includes regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement, as well as frequent agency-facing work including before OFAC, CFIUS, and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) in connection with licensing, enforcement, regulatory approvals, and a spectrum of other related matters.

Maura’s experience includes advising clients on regulatory compliance in the transactional, trade, and financing contexts, including evaluation and development of compliance policies and programs, as well as training. She also has broad experience in conducting and defending investigations and enforcement actions related to OFAC-administered economic sanctions, and other U.S. Government-administered regulatory schemes related to anti-corruption and anti-bribery. Maura routinely represents clients in matters before OFAC in the licensing as well as the investigation and enforcement contexts. Further, she advises clients on the national security aspects of foreign investment in the United States, engages with CFIUS on related matters, and prepares CFIUS notices in connection with transactions implicating the Committee’s jurisdiction.

Prior to joining A&O Shearman, Maura was a Chief in OFAC’s Office of Enforcement where she led investigations of potential violations of OFAC-administered economic sanctions and pursued administrative enforcement actions in cases related to international finance and trade. Maura also spent many years in private practice handling a wide array of regulatory matters related to economic sanctions and export controls, as well as white-collar and other defense matters.

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Iran Scenarios, ACI Advanced Forum on Economic Sanctions Enforcement & Compliance, April 2016
  • Speaker, deep dive session: the sanctions intensive, A.C.E.S. Compliance Summit, April 2016

Recognition

Maura Rezendes is always extremely responsive, providing constructive advice which is right on point.
CHAMBERS USA 2019 (Export Controls and Economic Sanctions)

Qualifications

Admissions

Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales, 2024

Admitted: Bar of the District of Columbia, 2003

Admitted: Bar of the State of Maryland, 2001

Academic

J.D., The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, 2001 

B.A., The Catholic University of America, 1997

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.