Chandler S. Leonard is an associate in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s International Trade Group. Chandler’s practice focuses on export controls and economic sanctions issues, including voluntary disclosures and enforcement matters before the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury. Chandler has experience analyzing and advising U.S. and non-U.S. companies with respect to proposed transfers of U.S. origin technology, software, hardware, and services. She has performed jurisdictional and classification analyses under the ITAR and EAR, including drafting Commodity Jurisdiction requests and CJ Reconsideration requests. She assists in developing and/or reviewing U.S. export and sanctions compliance programs, including risk assessments. Chandler also has experience training a wide variety of audiences, both U.S. and foreign, on compliance with U.S. export control and sanctions requirements.
Chandler is a former compliance case officer with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) at the U.S. Department of State, where she managed politically high-profile and complex investigations of ITAR violations involving companies in a range of industries, from large defense contractors to small companies in the emerging technology field. While at DDTC, she oversaw a multinational conglomerate’s efforts to satisfy the requirements of an administrative settlement agreement and bring the consent agreement to conclusion. Chandler also participated in complicated regulatory and policy matters in the advisory opinion process, including issues related to defense services, mergers and acquisitions in foreign countries’ defense industry, and cloud computing. She also engaged in DDTC liaison with law enforcement agencies, federal prosecutors, and the intelligence community.
Chandler is most recently a former sanctions compliance officer with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Treasury Department, where she lead complex and high-profile investigations of apparent sanctions violators within the regulated financial sector, including U.S. financial institutions and foreign financial institutions. Chandler also brings in-house experience with navigating complex export control issues, including internal investigations and audits, for a large defense contractor.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: Maryland
Chandler is admitted in Maryland only, practicing under the supervision of D.C. Bar members.
Speeches & Presentations
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"International Trade in 2021: What’s Ahead," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(February 17, 2021).
Presenters: Vassilis Akritidis, Caroline E. Brown, Michelle J. Linderman, Joshua Pond, Nicole Janigian Simonian, David R. Stepp, Robert Clifton Burns, Carina C. Federico, Jackson C. Pai, Nicole Sayegh Succar, Michael Bowen, Chandler S. Leonard, Brian McGrath, Nimrah Najeeb, and Joshua Boswell.
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"Export Control Risk Assessments," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(December 17, 2020).
Presenters: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Robert Clifton Burns, and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"International Trade and M&A: Due Diligence Considerations," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(October 29, 2020).
Presenters: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, David (Dj) Wolff, Chandler S. Leonard, Nimrah Najeeb, and Maria Vanikiotis.
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"Export Controls for Government Contractors," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(September 15, 2020).
Presenters: Adelicia R. Cliffe, Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Stephanie L. Crawford, and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"Handling Violations & Voluntary Disclosures," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(August 18, 2020).
Presenters: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Robert Clifton Burns, and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"Export Control Classroom: Export Controls 101," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(July 21, 2020).
Presenters: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"China in the Crosshairs: An Overview of the U.S. Approach to Mitigating National Security Concerns," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(June 23, 2020).
Presenters: Caroline E. Brown, Adelicia R. Cliffe, Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, David R. Stepp, Gail D. Zirkelbach, Erik Woodhouse, Stephanie L. Crawford, Chandler S. Leonard, and Andrew Blasi.
Publications
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"Recent Changes to the Export Administration Regulations Impact Hong Kong, Ukraine, Mexico, and Cyprus," Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law
(January 2, 2021).
Authors: Jeffrey L. Snyder, Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Chandler S. Leonard and Edward Goetz.
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"DDTC Issues 2nd Extension to Certain Temporary Suspensions, Modifications, and Exceptions to ITAR Due to COVID-19," Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law
(December 11, 2020).
Authors: Edward Goetz and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"OFAC Designates Entities Determined to be Involved in Exporting Workers from North Korea," Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law
(December 9, 2020).
Authors: Jeffrey L. Snyder, Caroline E. Brown and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"Recent BIS $31 million Civil Penalty against a Singapore Company Reminds Companies about Global Reach of U.S. Export Controls, Including in the Maritime Sector," Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law
(September 1, 2020).
Author: Chandler S. Leonard.
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"Circling The Wagons: Reactions To Covid-19 Bolster Regulatory Exclusions," WorldECR
(July 28, 2020).
Authors: Caroline E. Brown, and Chandler S. Leonard.
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"BIS Adds Australia Group Decisions to Commerce Control List," Crowell & Moring's International Trade Law
(June 18, 2020).
Authors: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Chandler S. Leonard and Edward Goetz.
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"DDTC Requests Comments on its Temporary Suspensions, Modifications, and Exceptions to the ITAR Due to COVID-19," Crowell & Moring's International Trade Law
(June 17, 2020).
Authors: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Chandler S. Leonard and Edward Goetz.
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"BIS Adds 33 Chinese Companies to the Entity List," Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Law
(May 29, 2020).
Authors: Maria (Jana) del-Cerro and Chandler S. Leonard.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"BIS – Making Their Lists and Adding to them Twice,"
International Trade Bulletin
(December 29, 2020).
Contacts: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Jeffrey L. Snyder, Chandler S. Leonard
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"OFAC Targets Iran’s Financial Sector and Designates Additional Iranian Banks,"
International Trade Bulletin
(October 28, 2020).
Contacts: Caroline E. Brown, Carlton Greene, Jeffrey L. Snyder, David (Dj) Wolff, Nicole Sayegh Succar, Chandler S. Leonard
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"Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Launches the "Foundational Technologies" Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR),"
International Trade Bulletin
(August 31, 2020).
Contacts: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Alan W. H. Gourley, Jeffrey L. Snyder, Chandler S. Leonard
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"US Export Controls and Hong Kong – Change Underway,"
International Trade Bulletin
(July 2, 2020).
Contacts: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Jeffrey L. Snyder, Robert Clifton Burns, Chandler S. Leonard, Brian McGrath
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"Introducing the Export Controls Classroom,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 4, 2020).
Contacts: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Chandler S. Leonard
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"BIS Creates a Special "Direct Product" Rule for Huawei,"
International Trade Bulletin
(May 18, 2020).
Contacts: Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Alan W. H. Gourley, Jeffrey L. Snyder, Chandler S. Leonard
Media Mentions