WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 26, 2012– Arent Fox’s Michael Burton, a partner in the firm’s International Trade practice, was cited in The Wall Street Journal September 24, 2012, as an authoritative legal voice on US economic sanctions laws and their treatment of businesses the US government deems to be operating on behalf of Iran.

The article, titled “National Iranian Tanker Co. Manager Rejects US Claims,” laid out the US Treasury Department’s decision to prohibit American engagement with the National Iranian Tanker Co. (NITC). The agency disagreed with NITC’s position that it is essentially a private, nongovernmental organization, and therefore not subject to US restrictions preventing American citizens or businesses from transacting business with it.

Arent Fox’s Burton, co-chair of the ABA International Section Committee on Export Controls and Economic Sanctions, is a frequent spokesperson and resource to leading business media, including The Wall Street Journal. He told WSJ that even a privatized company in Iran may be designated an entity of the Iranian government if Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control finds that the organization is controlled by, or is acting on behalf of, the government of Iran. The article presented the NITC challenge to US policies as an example of the increasing complexity of Iranian ownership amidst tightening US sanctions.

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