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ITAR & EAR Attorneys in Denver, Colorado

Sequoia Legal is an ITAR law firm that helps domestic and international companies meet complex international trade compliance challenges. Violations of export regulations like the International Traffic in Arms Regulations come with steep penalties. The ITAR lawyers at Sequoia Legal work with Denver organizations to ensure their business practices successfully achieve ITAR compliance.

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ITAR Attorney

Board-Certified ITAR Compliance Attorneys Helping Defense-Related Businesses

It is the job of the US federal government to regulate the export of military-related technologies to make sure that they comply with the foreign policy objectives of the United States. To this end, the US federal government has enacted regulations that govern the export of defense, military and dual-use technologies.

  • The US Department of State administers the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which regulate the export of defense-related goods and services.
  • The US Department of Commerce administers the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which govern the export of goods, services, software, and technology.

ITAR is a highly complex set of regulations, and it is unlikely that you will be able to comply with them despite your best intentions without the aid of an ITAR compliance attorney.

Sequoia Legal is an ITAR law firm located in Denver. Our ITAR/EAR attorneys serve as legal counsel related to export control matters and foreign trade regulations.

Our in-depth knowledge of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) goes to work for you, helping protect your organization from ITAR violations and ensuring organizational practices meet the standards for ITAR compliance.

We Assist Companies Across Numerous Defense-Related Sectors

Our ITAR Export Control Compliance Services

ITAR and similar export matters are some of the most aggressively enforced areas of US law. You definitely do not want to get on the wrong side of the authorities when it comes to real or perceived regulatory compliance. The ITAR compliance attorneys at Sequoia Legal can assist you in establishing export compliance programs to address present and future concerns. We also work to mitigate ITAR compliance issues should they occur.

Sequoia Legal’s key service areas for ITAR matters include:

  • Performing due diligence investigations for upcoming M&A and similar transactions. We can advise you on export control requirements with respect to financing and transactional matters.
  • Securing government advisory opinions on issues of regulatory interpretation.
  • Submitting Commodity Jurisdictions to the DDTC.
  • Providing your company with day-to-day advice on regulatory interpretation, export compliance measures, and licensing requirements.
  • Obtaining government approvals and licenses.
Defense-Related Sectors
  • Executing internal investigations to uncover instances of export control noncompliance, reform your company’s export control procedures, and negotiate resolutions with federal government agencies.
  • Avoiding or minimizing fines and other sanctions for export control violations.
  • Minimizing your company’s legal risk and exercising damage control measures if a violation should occur.
  • Establishing in-house ITAR compliance programs.
  • Planning and executing compliance audits and voluntary self-disclosures.

We will help you understand the interlocking roles of the numerous federal government agencies that oversee export regulation, including the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Speak with Denver Export ITAR & EAR Regulations Attorneys Today

If you need to speak with a Denver lawyer about ITAR export regulations, Sequoia Legal is here to help. Call us to discuss your ITAR issues today.

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What Does ITAR Law Cover?

Common ITAR Problems

ITAR is one of the chief regulatory frameworks that govern the laws and practices surrounding the export of certain types of goods. ITAR regulations were established under the authority of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and are primarily concerned with the regulation of defense-related goods.

Any organization involved in the production, sale, or exportation of defense goods, services, or data must ensure its export practices adhere to the foreign trade regulations established under ITAR. Compliance issues bring the potential for serious consequences, including fines, prison sentences, and loss of export privileges. The ITAR compliance attorneys at Sequoia Legal can assist you in establishing export compliance programs to mitigate ITAR compliance issues.

ITAR-controlled items are listed under the US Munitions Control List (USML), encompassing hundreds of defense-related items divided into thirteen categories:

  • Firearms and related articles
  • Guns and armament
  • Ammunition and ordnance
  • Launch vehicles, guided missiles, ballistic missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, and mines
  • Explosives and energetic materials, propellants, incendiary agents, and their constituents
  • Surface vessels of war and special naval equipment
ITAR compliance attorneys
Common ITAR Problems
  • Ground vehicles
  • Aircraft and related articles
  • Military training equipment and training
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Military electronics
  • Fire control, laser, imaging, and guidance equipment
  • Materials and miscellaneous articles

Maintaining ITAR compliance can be particularly challenging due to frequent changes of the list.

The Most Common ITAR Problems

We see the same problems arise again and again when small and medium-sized businesses are faced with export compliance matters. These problems include:

Why Sequoia Legal?
  • Failing to implement internal export compliance programs. If your company is involved in exporting controlled products or technology, it is essential that you have a formal written export compliance program in place.
  • Failing to keep up with new developments in foreign trade regulations.
  • Neglecting to pursue appropriate due diligence and failing to obtain necessary export licenses. Taking shortcuts in these areas could, in a worst-case scenario, lead to ITAR compliance issues that bring legal issues such as significant fines and criminal charges.
  • Exporting an item despite known regulatory problems that you fail to resolve prior to export.
  • Insufficient record-keeping. Record-keeping does not end as soon as you obtain an export license — you need to record every aspect of export compliance in case there are ITAR compliance issues down the road.
  • Failing to determine the identity of the end-users of the products that you export.
  • Disclosing controlled data to foreign national without authorization (also known as “deemed exports”).

Sequoia Legal has devised time-tested strategies to help your company meet all of these challenges. We won’t offer you a “lawyer’s solution” to your import/export compliance problems, but a solution that takes into account the business realities of your industry.

We Assist Companies Across Numerous Defense-Related Sectors

Sequoia Legal can advise clients involved in the following industries on a broad range of export control matters to achieve EAR and ITAR compliance:​​

  • Aerospace
  • Automotive
  • Defense
  • Electronics
  • Emerging technologies
  • Energy
  • Financial services
  • Life sciences
  • Information technology
  • Machine tools
  • Nonprofits
  • Robotics
  • Telecommunications
  • Software

The foregoing list is not exhaustive — we work with other industries as well. We also offer legal services to assist with securing the necessary licensing for exporting to export-controlled, embargoed, or otherwise restricted ITAR countries.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Colorado ITAR Law Firm

The Denver ITAR compliance attorneys at Sequoia Legal help organizations navigate ITAR export restrictions to maintain compliance and mitigate costly ITAR violation penalties. Learn more about how we can help by calling Sequoia Legal today.

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EAR & ITAR Violations Penalties

EAR and ITAR restrictions are carefully monitored by the US government. Failure to adhere to EAR/ITAR sanctions is unlikely to go undetected. EAR and ITAR violations are accompanied by severe consequences for both the organizations and the individuals involved. 

In the event of a violation, ITAR fines and penalties can include:

  • Criminal fines of up to $1 million per violation
  • Civil fines of up to $500,000 per violation
  • Up to 10 years prison time per criminal violation

ITAR prison sentences can also be increased to 20 years when a violation involves a false statement or omission of material fact. 

Violations Penalties
ITAR & EAR lawyers

Violations of EAR bring similar consequences: 

  • Criminal fines of up to $1 million per violation
  • Administrative fines of up to $250,000 per violation
  • Up to 20 years prison time per criminal violation
  • Loss of your company’s export privileges

If your organization is facing ITAR compliance issues, you should immediately bring your concerns to an attorney with legal experience in foreign trade regulations. Penalty mitigation in the face of EAR or ITAR violations depends on enlisting an ITAR compliance law firm to help you initiate a swift response to the suspected violation. 

Meet Our Qualified ITAR Attorneys

Our Successful Cases

No Penalty Voluntary Disclosures to US Gov

Companies routinely face complex situations when exporting or doing business internationally. There is a complex set of laws and regulations applicable to the persons, places and products involved in international business. Businesses sometimes end up violating or running afoul of these highly technical and complicated rules. Sequoia Legal has represented various US and foreign companies in conducting internal investigations relating to suspected violations of US sanctions and export controls. Following completion of these internal investigations, where necessary, we have assisted clients in voluntarily disclosing suspected violations to US authorities and have obtained favorable outcomes, including reduced penalties or no penalties. This has allowed our clients to sleep at night and continue to expand and do business internationally in compliance with applicable US law.

Successful Sale of Technology Startup

Our team at Sequoia Legal regularly helps sellers and buyers of businesses navigate the intricacies of the purchase and sale process to help them achieve their dreams. In this case, Sequoia Legal was brought on by the owners of a local technology company in a sale to a strategic acquirer with a total transaction value in the multiple millions. We successfully negotiated transaction agreements, including due diligence with the buyer and post-closing employment agreements, and closed the transaction within an expedited 30 days period. As part of this process, we helped educate the sellers through their first transaction and work through the emotional roller coaster of selling your business.

Rock Solid FCPA and Export Compliance Programs

Our Denver export compliance law firm has extensive experience with export administration regulations, the FCPA and international trade and can assist clients with developing export control and FCPA compliance programs. We ensure each client follows appropriate FCPA, export control compliance and foreign trade regulations for their industry, and our clients hail from nearly every industry sector. The attorneys at Sequoia Legal have successfully assisted and provided continued guidance for several international companies regarding the internal implementation of FCPA and export compliance plans. These companies employ and engage in various transactions with individuals and companies around the world. To ensure continued compliance with US sanctions laws and regulations following the implementation of the FCPA and export compliance programs, Sequoia Legal has conducted company audits, interviews and internal FCPA training programs. Due to the diligence of the Sequoia Legal team, zero issues or enforcement actions have been taken by the US government against Sequoia's clients for any FCPA or export related matter. An investment in a Sequoia Legal compliance plan has saved our clients time, focus and money.

Searching for Search Fund Success

And Finding It! Sequoia Legal regularly helps search funds and individuals find, acquire and successfully build new businesses. Our client was a search funder focused on acquiring a company in the professional services industry. We assisted in negotiating several LOI's that fell through, but as a result of that process, we found the right acquisition fit and assisted our client in executing an LOI, conducting due diligence, structuring the deal, negotiating the purchase agreement, working with the SBA and completing a deal that included a cash payment, SBA loan and seller financing with a variable note that reduced if certain revenue metrics were not achieved. We then assisted our client with several "tuck-in" acquisitions to further augment and accelerate the client's goals and exponentially grow revenue.

ITAR Defense Services

Why Choose Sequoia Legal Attorneys for ITAR Defense Services?

Sequoia Legal is an ITAR law firm that represents numerous clients in the defense sector. Our extensive knowledge and experience in import/export compliance matters are what decisively separates our ITAR consultants from our competition.

Custom-Tailored Compliance Programs

Our ITAR compliance consultants can help you create a custom-tailored compliance plan. Your company must be ITAR compliant if it handles, manufactures, designs, sells, or distributes products on the United States Munitions List.

ITAR/EAR compliance is not always straightforward. For example, limiting access to technical data is almost always a complex issue. Our ITAR attorneys consider the unique organizational needs of each client. We then develop individualized export compliance programs crafted around the specific industries, roles, and compliance concerns at play.

Custom-Tailored Compliance Programs
Export Compliance Laws

Vast Experience in Export Compliance Laws

We have vast experience in export compliance laws. Our attorneys possess decades of combined experience in export control matters. Our compliance consultants deal with the full range of export compliance laws, including ITAR, EAR, and other export compliance regulations.

Our ITAR compliance lawyers understand legal nuances and enforcement priorities that cannot necessarily be derived from the text of the law itself. This type of legal skill only comes after years of working directly with organizations to craft export compliance programs that effectively protect companies from committing violations. Our knowledge of how foreign trade regulations are interpreted in real-world cases helps clients avoid or mitigate ITAR issues.

Proactive Defense of Your Interests

We excel at proactively defending your interests. It is not enough to respond once an ITAR issue arises. By that time, penalty mitigation may be the only option. Our experienced ITAR law firm can help significantly reduce the potential penalties an organization faces in the event of a foreign trade regulation violation.

Our attorneys are skilled at identifying organizational weaknesses and blind spots in areas related to export regulations. By identifying possible areas in which an ITAR violation is at risk of occurring, we are able to offer advice on how to strengthen internal practices, policies, and procedures to protect against an export violation before it occurs. With proactive defense overseen by our experienced ITAR lawyers, you don't need to worry about whether your interests are adequately protected.

Defense of Your Interests

Legal Counsel Skilled In ITAR Counsel

We’re a law firm skilled in ITAR matters. Each of our attorneys brings their own knowledge and experience base to every client project. Our team-led approach helps us ensure that we consider your organizational needs from a wide range of perspectives when legal counsel is required.

Unlike many ITAR compliance law firms, Sequoia Legal is adept at integrating the knowledge and skill of each of our lawyers into a coherent working whole. We then proceed to offer counsel that is tailor-made to your particular company and circumstances.

What Our Clients Say

5.0

39 Reviews

5

Lauryn D.

We were so lucky to have met Andrew a few years ago. He has been an invaluable advisor for all the twists and turns life and business brings. His ample availability and fast communication is what you need when the unexpected arises. We feel at ease knowing Andrew and his team are by our side.

5

Ava K.

If you are looking for an excellent legal team, look no further. What a brilliant, trustworthy, compassionate, professional and detail oriented legal team. I cannot thank Chritina, Andrew and Hunter enough for executing our legal matters and meeting deadlines in timely manner. I am so grateful and would definitely be returning for future legal work. Thank you!

5

Chase B.

It has been a pleasure working with Sequoia Legal. Andrew and Hunter have been instrumental in helping to ensure that we are making the right decisions for our business. When we need their assistance or counsel, they handle things in an effective and efficient manner. Highly recommend working with this firm!!

Areas We Serve

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Contact Our Denver, CO ITAR Compliance Law Firm Today

Contact the ITAR lawyers at Sequoia Legal today to learn more about how our legal team can partner with your company to resolve complex legal matters and minimize legal risks that you might not even realize you face. Call (303)-476-2851 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

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Denver Office

7355 E. Orchard Rd., Suite 375 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

*by appointment only

Office Hours

Mon - Fri
9am - 5pm
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Licensed in New York, Colorado, & Alaska with an international flair

Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)

Does ITAR apply to individuals?

Yes. ITAR applies to “US persons” seeking to export to “foreign persons.” A US person can be an entity, but it can also be a US citizen, permanent resident, or political asylee. A foreign person can be any individual who is not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, wherever located.

How do I get ITAR-certified?

Where applicable, You must first comply with ITAR regulations, then register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and after that, you receive import/export approval from the DDTC, as necessary.

What services are considered by ITAR as “defense”?

Three types of activities constitute “defense services”:

  • Providing assistance with the design, development, manufacturing, maintenance, etc. of defense-related articles
  • Providing controlled technical data to foreign persons
  • Providing military training to foreign forces

What is considered “technical data” under ITAR?

“Technical data” includes information, especially classified information, on the design, development, or manufacturing of “defense articles.” This information might be blueprints or documentation, for example, and it includes software that is directly related to defense articles.