Maura Rezendes

Sidley Austin is continuing to build up its roster of trade expertise in Washington, D.C., announcing this week the arrival of a partner and two associates from A&O Shearman. Maura Rezendes, who was at A&O for just under a dozen years, and was most recently U.S. head of sanctions, has joined Sidley’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice as a partner. The move comes shortly after the firm brought on John Foote as a partner in the same practice group, arriving from Kelley Drye & Warren. And just as the easiest way to describe Foote’s job is as a “tariffs lawyer,” Rezendes described herself as a sanctions lawyer. That means counseling financial institutions and companies on “anything and everything related to U.S. economic sanctions,” as primarily administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Treasury Department, Rezendes said in an interview Wednesday. Rezendes helps with both litigation and transactions, helping clients navigate internal or government investigations related to apparent sanctions violations, or licensing issues, and works hand-in-hand with M&A or banking lawyers to help clients think about or adjust to economic sanctions risk in deals, for instance. She said Sidley presented the opportunity to work on a “full-spectrum, multidimensional trade practice,” with other practitioners who have specialties in different aspects of trade, like tariffs, imports, or export controls. The firm’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy group is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and Rezendes said the firm has an “unmatched’ understanding of how to deploy regulatory specialists across the firm. “They deeply understand the integration across both geographies and practice groups, to embed people like me into the wider firm,” she said. She said sanctions has always been a hot topic, and the Trump administration’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—typically a sanctions-based statute, Rezendes said—to implement a wide range of tariffs puts the topic at the forefront now more than ever. But, she added, clients will seek counsel from practitioners in this space “whichever direction the wind blows.” “Whether it’s relaxation of certain sanctions targeting Russia or China or Venezuela, or escalation of sanctions targeting Iran or other global actors, our clients always need very sophisticated, substantive advice, around any movement, in whatever direction,” she said. “Either it’s thinking about new business opportunities that didn’t previously exist, or de-risking out of particular jurisdictions, or respect to particular counterparties in the face of enhanced sanctions, our team and expertise will be in high demand whatever direction things move.” The associates joining Rezendes are Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher, the firm stated. "We thank Maura for the contribution she has made to the firm and wish her all the best for the future," an A&O Shearman spokesperson said. Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner for Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, said the office is now around 300 lawyers total and is constantly on the lookout to build up its bench in regulatory and litigation practices, in particular. But the main focus is on getting exceptional talent, she said. “With Maura and John’s additions, we are continuing to grow here in D.C., and what we’re looking for is just exceptional talent,” Koehler said. Rezendes, she added, “is exceptional in the economic sanctions and trade space. That is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Oct 16

2 min

Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Maura Rezendes has joined the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade & Advocacy practice in Sidley’s office in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rezendes joins from A&O Shearman, where she served as U.S. Head of Sanctions. Associates Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher from Maura’s team also recently joined the firm. The Firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Ms. Rezendes advises financial institutions and corporate clients on a wide range of matters implicating economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Her practice includes regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement, as well as frequent agency-facing work before OFAC in connection with licensing, enforcement, regulatory approvals, and other related matters. Ms. Rezendes formerly served as a chief in OFAC’s Office of Enforcement where she led investigations of potential violations of OFAC-administered economic sanctions and pursued enforcement actions in cases related to international finance and trade. “Maura’s credibility with regulators and global businesses, many of whom are already significant Sidley clients, truly enhances Sidley’s standing as a leader in international trade,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Management Committee Chair. “Maura will collaborate closely with our partners to provide clients with transactional, investigative, and enforcement support across industries and markets. We are excited for her to be reunited with several former colleagues in multiple offices that have joined Sidley including Alun Evans, Chris Jackson, Barbara Stettner, C. Wallace Dewitt and Luke Maiman.” “Maura’s deep experience and impressive market profile in economic sanctions will help us serve some of the most urgent needs of our clients,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee. “Maura’s experience from her time at OFAC, combined with her hands-on counseling, deal and enforcement experience, will further strengthen Sidley’s ability to serve trade clients from every angle.” This addition comes on the heels of partner John Foote joining Sidley’s industry leading international trade practice earlier this month. Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer. Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Maura Rezendes has joined the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade & Advocacy practice in Sidley’s office in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rezendes joins from A&O Shearman, where she served as U.S. Head of Sanctions. Associates Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher from Maura’s team also recently joined the firm. The Firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Ms. Rezendes advises financial institutions and corporate clients on a wide range of matters implicating economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Her practice includes regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement, as well as frequent agency-facing work before OFAC in connection with licensing, enforcement, regulatory approvals, and other related matters. Ms. Rezendes formerly served as a chief in OFAC’s Office of Enforcement where she led investigations of potential violations of OFAC-administered economic sanctions and pursued enforcement actions in cases related to international finance and trade. “Maura’s credibility with regulators and global businesses, many of whom are already significant Sidley clients, truly enhances Sidley’s standing as a leader in international trade,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Management Committee Chair. “Maura will collaborate closely with our partners to provide clients with transactional, investigative, and enforcement support across industries and markets. We are excited for her to be reunited with several former colleagues in multiple offices that have joined Sidley including Alun Evans, Chris Jackson, Barbara Stettner, C. Wallace Dewitt and Luke Maiman.” “Maura’s deep experience and impressive market profile in economic sanctions will help us serve some of the most urgent needs of our clients,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee. “Maura’s experience from her time at OFAC, combined with her hands-on counseling, deal and enforcement experience, will further strengthen Sidley’s ability to serve trade clients from every angle.” This addition comes on the heels of partner John Foote joining Sidley’s industry leading international trade practice earlier this month. Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.

Oct 15

5 min

Sidley Austin is continuing to build up its roster of trade expertise in Washington, D.C., announcing this week the arrival of a partner and two associates from A&O Shearman. Maura Rezendes, who was at A&O for just under a dozen years, and was most recently U.S. head of sanctions, has joined Sidley’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice as a partner. The move comes shortly after the firm brought on John Foote as a partner in the same practice group, arriving from Kelley Drye & Warren. And just as the easiest way to describe Foote’s job is as a “tariffs lawyer,” Rezendes described herself as a sanctions lawyer. That means counseling financial institutions and companies on “anything and everything related to U.S. economic sanctions,” as primarily administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Treasury Department, Rezendes said in an interview Wednesday. Rezendes helps with both litigation and transactions, helping clients navigate internal or government investigations related to apparent sanctions violations, or licensing issues, and works hand-in-hand with M&A or banking lawyers to help clients think about or adjust to economic sanctions risk in deals, for instance. She said Sidley presented the opportunity to work on a “full-spectrum, multidimensional trade practice,” with other practitioners who have specialties in different aspects of trade, like tariffs, imports, or export controls. The firm’s global arbitration, trade and advocacy group is a Chambers Band 1 practice in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and Rezendes said the firm has an “unmatched’ understanding of how to deploy regulatory specialists across the firm. “They deeply understand the integration across both geographies and practice groups, to embed people like me into the wider firm,” she said. She said sanctions has always been a hot topic, and the Trump administration’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—typically a sanctions-based statute, Rezendes said—to implement a wide range of tariffs puts the topic at the forefront now more than ever. But, she added, clients will seek counsel from practitioners in this space “whichever direction the wind blows.” “Whether it’s relaxation of certain sanctions targeting Russia or China or Venezuela, or escalation of sanctions targeting Iran or other global actors, our clients always need very sophisticated, substantive advice, around any movement, in whatever direction,” she said. “Either it’s thinking about new business opportunities that didn’t previously exist, or de-risking out of particular jurisdictions, or respect to particular counterparties in the face of enhanced sanctions, our team and expertise will be in high demand whatever direction things move.” The associates joining Rezendes are Ben Vallimarescu and James Daher, the firm stated. "We thank Maura for the contribution she has made to the firm and wish her all the best for the future," an A&O Shearman spokesperson said. Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner for Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, said the office is now around 300 lawyers total and is constantly on the lookout to build up its bench in regulatory and litigation practices, in particular. But the main focus is on getting exceptional talent, she said. “With Maura and John’s additions, we are continuing to grow here in D.C., and what we’re looking for is just exceptional talent,” Koehler said. Rezendes, she added, “is exceptional in the economic sanctions and trade space. That is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Oct 15

2 min

Sidley is proud to announce that it has been ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners for International Trade across all major jurisdictions – Global, USA, Europe, and Asia-Pacific – for the tenth consecutive year (2017–2026). This milestone exemplifies our sustained excellence in client service, technical capability, and cross-border coordination. In 2026, Sidley received Band 1 rankings in the following International Trade categories: Chambers Global Multi-Jurisdictional: International Trade/WTO Chambers USA International Trade: Customs Chambers USA International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy Chambers Europe: International Trade/WTO Chambers Asia-Pacific: International Trade/WTO Earning Band 1 rankings across every major international trade jurisdiction for a decade represents more than just industry recognition. It also reflects a fully integrated global trade platform, continuous investment in premier talent, and deep experience advising on complex, cross-border matters. As international trade increasingly shapes corporate strategy and risk management, our sustained top-tier recognition affirms our success as one of the most established and comprehensive teams in the field. Over the past decade, Sidley has made significant investments in its International Trade practice to adapt to market shifts and client needs. In the past year alone, we’ve welcomed three partners, nine associates, and four analysts. With the addition of recent lateral partners John Foote, Maura Rezendes, and Justin Becker, we have further strengthened our capabilities in trade remedies, customs enforcement, export controls, sanctions, and national security matters. Their experience enhances our ability to deliver sophisticated, coordinated advice across jurisdictions and reinforces our position at the forefront of global trade law.

Feb 24

1 min

Longtime Williams & Connolly attorney Paul Boehm has moved to Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., to cohead Sidley's products liability and mass torts practice, amid growing demand in mass torts and products liability litigation practices. Boehm will cohead the practice alongside Heidi Levine and Jennifer Saulino, Sidley said Thursday. Boehm, who had been at Williams & Connolly for over two decades, had cochaired Williams & Connolly's FDA practice group and chaired the firm's continuing legal education committee. "He is very well-known to our partners, because he has been cocounsel in a number of our significant matters. He represents and has great relationships with many of our existing clients, and he is just a talented lawyer, so it was easy for us to identify and reach out to Paul," said Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Sidley's management committee, in an interview. Boehm's practice focuses on handling complex litigation on behalf of multinational corporations. His clients have included Merck & Co., CVS Health Corp., Alchemee and Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, according to court records. More Big Law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, have been investing in their product liability and mass torts litigation teams as they take on more work in this specialized area. It comes amid a shift from commoditized products liability work in the practice to more high-stakes bet-the-company-type litigation, with a growing number and variety of cases emerging from ultra-processed foods, pharmaceuticals, herbicides and even gaming and social media applications, as Law.com has reported. "Products liability and mass tort matters are becoming more prevalent. The types of industries and companies who are now facing products liability and mass tort litigation is growing, and we're seeing that in a variety of different industries, and all the trends are pointing towards that becoming more common," said Boehm in an interview. Earlier this year, Sidley represented Kraft Heinz in securing a dismissal in a products liability action against 11 major food companies challenging the manufacturing and marketing of so-called "ultra-processed foods." It was the first personal injury suit of its kind in the United States, the firm said in a statement. Ostolaza said Sidley plans to further invest in products liability and mass torts, as it's an "area that our clients are growing in." Williams & Connolly did not immediately return a request for comment on Boehm's departure. Sidley said Boehm is the eighth new partner to join Sidley’s D.C. office this year, following Maura Rezendes, John Foote, Barbara Stettner, Molly Lovedale, Alana Genderson, Michael Hochman and Lisa Miller.

Dec 18

2 min