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.”