A&O Shearman’s UK Sanctions and International Trade Group provides integrated, cross-border advice to corporates and financial institutions navigating global trade, export controls, and sanctions regimes. The team is regularly instructed on sanctions exposure in high-value cross-border financings, M&A, capital markets, and project finance. Practice head Matthew Townsend brings deep expertise in economic and trade sanctions, export controls, WTO rules, FDI regimes, anti-bribery compliance, and anti-money laundering programmes.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘What makes this team stand out is their pragmatic, business-oriented approach. They don’t just give legal advice, they take the time to understand our business and offer practical, tailored solutions that work in the real world.'
‘The individuals we work with stand out for their deep expertise, commercial insight, and collaborative mindset.'
- 'Matthew Townsend is a standout partner—strategic, pragmatic, and always focused on delivering value.'
- 'Ming He Tan is also exceptional. As an associate, he is highly responsive, detail-oriented, and efficient.'
- 'We’ve consistently valued their professionalism, approachability, and the strong sense of partnership they bring to every interaction.’
Key clients
- Open Pass Ltd
- KCA Deutag International
- Pamplona Capital Management
- Greif
- Mitsubishi Corporation
- Davidson Kempner European Partners
- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
- Quilter Cheviot Limited.
- IMI plc
- ATP Media
- Qatar Investment Authority
- Hunter Douglas
Work highlights
Acted for Open Pass Ltd on sanctions aspects of the successful buyout of the Fortenova Group.
Acted for KCA Deutag International for a number of years on a range of sanctions matters.
Represented UniCredit SpA in navigating the EU Russia sanctions regime, including its activities with respect to risk reduction as regards its Russian subsidiary.
Practice head
Matthew Townsend
Other key lawyers
Thomas Donegan; James Freeman; Tom d’Ardenne; Ming He Tan; Gauthier Jacqmin