Compliance issues and enforcement actions arise in many contexts for businesses and academic institutions that export or import equipment, software or technology, seek foreign investment, supply goods or services to the U.S. government, or employ foreign nationals in the United States. The issues are varied and cut across the jurisdictions of several departments and agencies of the U.S. government, including the Departments of Commerce, State, Treasury, and Defense as well as the Department of Justice.
Hinckley Allen’s International Trade & National Security group, has decades of experience in essentially every aspect of practice, policy and trade-related national security issues. Our team is led by Stephanie Siegmann, former National Security Chief in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts (MA USAO). During Stephanie’s almost 20 year tenure, including serving as the MA USAO’s first female National Security Chief, she prosecuted and oversaw the investigation of hundreds of violations of U.S. export laws and sanction regulations. Our talented group of attorneys is poised to assist with the many timely, complex global issues faced by companies and individuals.
What We Do
Our International Trade & National Security team has extensive knowledge and experience in all areas involving the regulation of international trade, oversight of investment and financial transactions, and enforcement of national security-related laws and regulations.
Our team provides practical, strategic, and effective advice to clients from a wide variety of industries in connection with international trade and national security regulatory regimes, including:
- The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
- The Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
- Economic Sanctions administrated by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
- The Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR)
- The Anti-Smuggling Statutes – 18 U.S.C. §§ 545 (smuggling goods into the US) and 554 (smuggling goods outside of the US)
- Sections 301-310 of the Trade Act of 1974
- Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 Prohibiting Imports produced by Forced Labor
- Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and Acting as an Agent of a Foreign Government in the US – 18 U.S.C. § 951
- The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
- The False Claims Act (FCA)
- The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
The ever-changing landscape of regulatory requirements presents our clients with ongoing compliance challenges requiring timely, in-depth analyses, and we offer a variety of services, such as:
- Conducting internal investigations and audits;
- Conducting due diligence reviews in the pre-acquisition context and advising on the impact of export controls in complex transactions;
- Providing advice and assistance in responding to administrative and grand jury subpoenas;
- Defending against criminal and administrative enforcement actions;
- Advising on complex export control regulatory issues such as jurisdictional (Commerce Control List vs. U.S. Munitions List) and classification matters;
- Assisting in obtaining export licenses and advisory opinions from governmental agencies;
- Preparing voluntary self-disclosures to governmental agencies (when necessary) and responding to governmental inquiries;
- Developing and implementing internal compliance programs and technology control plans; and
- Providing in-house training on export control and economic sanctions compliance and related regulatory regimes.
Hinckley Allen Team Fends off $1B False Claims Act Claim
Hinckley Allen client, SYNNEX Corp. , a distributor of information technology products, prevailed in a False Claims Act case in which the plaintiff claimed that it violated the Trade Agreements Act when it sold products to the federal government as part of …
The Export Practitioner: Chitron, Revisited—Illegal Procurement Schemes Then and Now
December 10, 2025This article was originally published in The Export Practitioner on December 9, 2025. From 2007 to 2010, I was the lead prosecutor responsible for the investigation and trial of Chitron Electronics, Inc. (“Chitron-US”), and two of its executive…
Dow Jones Risk Journal: National Security Uncertainties: A New Era of Business Risk
September 16, 2025B. Stephanie Siegmann, partner and chair of the International Trade & National Security Practice, contributed to Dow Jones Risk Journal. She outlines important proactive steps businesses should take to assess their risks and minimize liability in the c…
Hinckley Allen Welcomes Former Federal Prosecutor Jason Casey as a Partner, Expanding Depth in White Collar, National Security, and Cybersecurity
April 15, 2026Hinckley Allen is pleased to announce that Jason Casey has joined the firm’s Boston office as a Partner in its Litigation, White Collar & Government Enforcement, and International Trade & National Security practice groups. Jason joins the firm fro…
Hinckley Allen Partner B. Stephanie Siegmann Honored with UMass Boston 2025 Beacon Award
November 6, 2025Hinckley Allen Litigation Partner B. Stephanie Siegmann, who leads the firm’s International Trade & National Security Practice and co-chairs its Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection Groups, has been named the recip…
