Blank Rome partner Anthony Rapa will serve as a speaker at American Conference Institute’s (“ACI”) 19th Annual Flagship Conference on Economic Sanctions Enforcement and Compliance, being held April 29 through May 1, 2025, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

About the Conference

As geopolitical risks intensify and a new U.S. Administration is in place, this conference comes at a pivotal time. The program will provide critical U.S. and international economic sanctions updates and the newest best practices from speakers across different industries and jurisdictions.

Anthony will join Pierre Gouarin, Head of Sanctions Advisory at BNP Paribas, to present, “Trade Finance and Payment Processing: Managing Financial Crime Risks to Support Your Business,” an interactive workshop taking place on Tuesday, April 29, from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.

About the Workshop

Anthony and Pierre will delve into the complexities of navigating domestic and international working capital finance transactions. These deals will be viewed from a 360 lens for a discussion about how to stay compliant in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Topics to be covered include:

  • Determining transactions vulnerable to fraud, money laundering, and sanctions circumvention.
  • What are the key typologies of sanctions circumvention to look for?
  • What does the Bureau of Industry and Security’s October 2025 guidance mean for trade finance compliance? What controls and due diligence measures should be integrated into trade finance compliance programs?
  • Discussion about how to create a cross-functional approach (Know Your Customer/ Anti-Money Laundering /Sanctions).
  • How can institutions assess the effectiveness of their current compliance controls? When to turn away business.

Other sessions include:

  • Practical Tips for the Sanctions Licensing Process and Sanctions Compliance Program Essentials: How to Meet OFAC’s Expectations and Requirements
  • Are Tariffs the New Sanctions? The State of Sanctions, Trade, National Security Policy, and Enforcement Under the Trump Administration
  • Russia and Sanctions Compliance: How Companies and Financial Institutions Are Revisiting Their Programs, and Risk Profiles Amid Recent Progress to End the War
  • MIDDLE EAST: Maximum Pressure on Iran, New Opportunities in Syria and Continued Challenges in Gaza
  • Transactional Risks and Conflicts of Law: Reconciling Differing U.S., UK, and EU Rules for Russia, Cuba and Iran
  • What’s New and Brewing at OFAC: New Designations, Longer Longback Period and More
  • Fine Tuning Complex Sanctions Clauses to Mitigate the Risk of Contractual Disputes
  • The Aftermath of BIS Guidance on Export Controls for Financial Institutions: Resolving New Trade Finance and Export Compliance Dilemmas
  • The Aftermath of BIS Guidance on Export Controls for Financial Institutions: Resolving New Trade Finance and Export Compliance Dilemmas
  • Sanctions, Export Controls, Tariffs and More: Industry Perspectives on Trade Risks and Opportunities
  • The Toughest Compliance and Business Calls on Russia: Hear from Companies Still Doing Business in Russia, Those Who Exited Recently and Others Who Left in 2022
  • Cryptocurrency and Payments: Will Shifting Enforcement Risks Spark Changes in Payments Domestically and Internationally?
  • Rethinking Your Footprint in the APAC Region: A Candid Conversation on Risk Appetite and Alternatives to China
  • The Next Phase of Sanctions and Export Controls on China: Preparing for New U.S. Restrictions— and Chinese Countermeasures
  • Regulatory and Enforcement Panel: Cross-Agency Coordination and Priorities
  • Rethinking Sanctions Readiness: Tools to Ensure That Your Company Can Quickly Pivot When Sanctions Are Ramping Up or Winding Down
  • Axis of Evasion: How Russia, China, and Iran Collaborate to Evade Sanctions—And How to Stop Them
  • LATIN AMERICA: New Posture on Venezuela, Mexico, and Cuba? The Latest Developments and Sanctions Risks to Watch
  • Perspectives and Predictions: Former Government Officials Share Their Views on the Economic Sanctions
  • Behind the Scenes of Sanctions Evasion: How Russia Evaded Sanctions to Transport Oil with the Grey and Dark Fleet
  • Under the Microscope: How Different Types of Financial Institutions Are Approaching New, High Stakes Sanctions Risks and Customer Due Diligence

For more information, please visit the event webpage.