Alison Stafford Powell > Baker McKenzie LLP > Palo Alto, United States > Lawyer Profile

Baker McKenzie LLP Offices

Baker McKenzie LLP
660 HANSEN WAY
PALO ALTO, CA 94304
CALIFORNIA
United States
Visit website 1 650 856 2400 1 650 856 9299

Alison Stafford Powell

Alison Stafford Powell photo
+1 650 856 5531 [email protected] View profile

Work Department

International Commercial

Position

Alison Stafford Powell chairs the North America Trade Compliance team. She has considerable experience counseling US and non-US companies on managing trade compliance in the areas of export controls, trade and financial sanctions and US anti-boycott laws. As a dual-qualified lawyer, she provides practical advice to help non-US companies reconcile US and foreign trade regulations and on the extra-territorial impact of US trade restrictions. Chambers USA quotes clients’ praise for her being “extremely knowledgeable, responsive, commercially strong and understanding complex issues well.” Legal 500 describes here as an “outstanding specialist.” She has worked in the Firm’s London, Washington, DC and Palo Alto offices since 1996.

Career

Alison provides full-spectrum compliance counseling in the areas of export controls and sanctions, including under the US Export Administration Regulations and the OFAC sanctions. Her services include compliance planning, risk assessments, licensing, regulatory interpretations, voluntary disclosures, enforcement actions, complex internal investigations and audits, mergers and acquisitions and other cross-border activities. She also develops compliance training, codes of conduct, compliance procedures and policies.

She has particular experience in the following sectors: financial services, technology/IT services, travel/hospitality, telecommunications, semiconductors and manufacturing.

Languages

English, Japanese

Memberships

  • The Law Society of England and Wales
  • American Bar Association, International Law Section
  • California Bar International Law Section
  • Women in International Trade – Northern California

Lawyer Rankings

United States > International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions

Forming a key part of its wider global trade compliance practice, Baker McKenzie LLP’s US trade group finds favor for its ‘inter-office collaboration’, which sources say brings ‘valuable insights and solutions to clients engaging in global business operations’. This is particularly evident on the exports and economic sanctions side, where the team’s international platform marks it as a top choice to advise on overlapping multinational regulatory regimes and initiatives. Washington DC-based department co-head Janet Kim is recommended for her focus on outbound trade compliance issues, including sanctions, export control laws, investment restrictions and anti-corruption. Fellow practice co-head Alison Stafford Powell, based in Palo Alto, is a dual US- and England and Wales-qualified trade specialist; she represents clients in the full range of export controls and sanctions matters, including regulations administered by OFAC and the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Also noted for sanctions and export controls are Washington DC’s Kerry Contini; newly promoted partner Eunkyung Kim Shin, who is based in Chicago; and San Francisco-based senior counsel John McKenzie, whose broad practice spans sanctions, export controls and customs matters. The customs group also draws on Meredith DeMent, who handles the full range of customs compliance and duty mitigation strategies—she also contributes significant trade litigation expertise. In January 2024, the firm hired customs-focused senior counsel Chandri Navarro, who was formerly at Hogan Lovells US LLP.

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