Overview
Stephanie L. Connor is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the Public Policy & Regulation Group. A former senior official with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Ms. Connor focuses her practice on sanctions, international trade and investment, and related regulatory, enforcement and compliance matters.
Ms. Connor advises clients on matters arising under the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) regulations and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). She has significant experience investigating multinational companies for possible violations of federal law, defending clients in criminal and civil litigation matters, and implementing corporate compliance programs. Ms. Connor has represented clients in matters before numerous U.S. government agencies, including the Treasury Department, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Connor served as the assistant director of policy and assistant chief counsel at OFAC. She also worked in private practice for multinational law firms in Washington, D.C.
While in law school, Ms. Connor served as executive editor of the Georgetown Journal of International Law, a teaching fellow and a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic.
Prior to law school, Ms. Connor lived and worked in Africa, Asia and Europe.
Representative Experience
- Developing U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) engagement and licensing strategies for a foreign state-owned company
- Advising on complex litigation involving assets subject to OFAC sanctions
- Managing internal investigations of global companies with respect to potential violations of the Iran sanctions and engaging with OFAC enforcement regarding the same
- Advising global communications platforms with respect to sanctions compliance and developing comprehensive compliance and screening programs
- Conducting internal investigations for several multinational financial institutions in response to OFAC administrative subpoenas
- Designing sanctions compliance programs for companies in the manufacturing, trade, shipping, finance, communications and energy sectors
- Serving on secondment to a global hotel chain to establish sanctions and an anti-money laundering (AML) compliance program
- Advising several large private equity firms with respect to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) risks and filings associated with portfolio investments
- Representing foreign acquirers with respect to the CFIUS filings associated with the acquisition of sensitive U.S. companies and infrastructure facilities
- Serving on U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) monitor teams for global companies in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters
- Investigating a U.S. retailer for violations of federal law in South America
Credentials
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
- American University, B.A., International Relations and Philosophy, cum laude
- District of Columbia
- Law360 International Trade Editorial Advisory Board Member, 2020
- Georgetown University Law Center, Adjunct Professor, 2017
- Rising Star, Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers magazine
- Dean's List, Georgetown University Law Center