Law Practice Focusing On
Economic Sanctions, Export Controls, Anti-Terrorism/FSIA Litigation &
National Security Legal Matters

Relevant Experience

Steve has significant experience as a federal prosecutor and in private practice handling and supervising the investigation, prosecution, and defense of export controls, sanctions, national security, white collar fraud,  public and union corruption,   terrorism, and other federal offenses. He counsels and represents individuals and corporate clients in federal administrative and criminal inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions. Steve's long and deep experience has been recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers USA rankings in Export Controls & Economic Sanctions.

Steve assists clients with internal corporate compliance and due diligence efforts with regard to export controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, national security, and other statutes and regulations, including the Arms Export Control Act/International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); the Export Administration Regulations (EAR); the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA); anti-money laundering (AML) laws and other federal regulatory schemes. From 2018 through 2024, the Assistant Secretary of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, appointed Steve to serve as a member of the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG). DTAG advises the Department of State on its administration and enforcement of the ITAR and its regulation of international defense sales to protect and advance the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States, while reducing impediments to legitimate exports.

Prior to opening his own law office and retiring from “big-law firm” practice, Steve was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Holland & Hart from June 2013 until June 2023.

For 25 years before joining Holland & Hart, Steve served as a federal prosecutor in several roles within the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  During the years from 2007 until 2013, Steve served as the Justice Department's first National Coordinator for Export Controls/Sanctions Enforcement as well as the Principal Deputy Chief  and then the Acting Chief of the Counterespionage Section (CES) of the National Security Division.  CES is now titled the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

In those roles, Steve directed a national program of federal prosecutors and investigators to enhance and increase the U.S. government's ability to investigate and prosecute export control and sanctions violations. Leading the Justice Department's export controls/sanctions enforcement activities and public outreach efforts, Steve has a deep understanding of the U.S. government's policies and enforcement of national security trade laws and regulations, including the current and emerging policies and priorities of federal administrative and law enforcement agencies.
In addition, Steve served for 18 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia in a wide variety of capacities. He handled numerous federal investigations and prosecutions involving fraud, bribery, export control and sanctions offenses, public corruption, labor union embezzlement and corruption, national security offenses, and overseas terrorist acts against U.S. citizens. He served as lead counsel on dozens of jury trials and appellate arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. 

Prior to his service as a federal prosecutor, Steve served as an associate with the firms of Hughes Hubbard & Reed and Arnold & Porter and as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge Douglas W. Hillman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Steve's experience in export controls, sanctions, FCPA, FARA, CFIUS, AML, and public corruption matters allows his clients a unique and wide perspective on a range of important U.S. Government regulatory, investigative, and enforcement initiatives and actions.