Counsels clients on compliance and enforcement issues involving U.S. sanctions, export controls, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and anti-money laundering laws and regulations.
Represents clients in cross-border investigations and advocates before U.S. government agencies, including the Departments of Justice (DOJ), State, Defense, Commerce and the Treasury, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Advises clients in connection with cross-border mergers & acquisitions and capital markets transactions, including pre- and post-acquisition due diligence.
Served in national security-related roles at the State Department in Washington, D.C. and Iraq.

Lauren advises on export controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations for a diverse array of global clients given her central location in Dubai. Lauren also supports clients in conducting internal investigations and risk assessments and represents clients facing government investigations and enforcement actions concerning trade controls, including sanctions regulations administered by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and U.S. export controls, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Lauren also counsels clients in connection with proposed transactions and business relationships by conducting due diligence in mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and other corporate and financial transactions.

Prior to joining Akin, Lauren was an associate at another major international law firm in Washington, D.C. She also worked as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counterterrorism analyst for a defense contractor; a field officer in Iraq and foreign affairs officer in Washington, D.C. with the State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction; and as a legal intern in the DOJ’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Representative Work

Advised companies on compliance with U.S. sanctions and export controls in connection with substantial investment, merger and acquisition transactions in the Middle East.
Conducted internal investigations for global companies concerning compliance with U.S. sanctions, the FCPA and the ITAR, and when necessary, defended those companies before U.S. government agencies with favorable resolutions.
Designed and led trade controls risk assessments and supported clients in standing up compliance programs.
Negotiated sanctions, export controls, anti-corruption, and AML provisions for M&A, sales and services agreements, as well as financing agreements

Languages
Arabic
Hebrew
Spanish

Education
J.D., American University, Washington College of Law, summa cum laude, 2015
B.A., Queens College, City University of New York, summa cum laude, 2008

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia
New York

Recognitions

Global Investigations Review, 40 Under 40, 2024.
Law.com, Regulatory and Investigations Team of the Year, The Middle East Legal Awards, 2023.
IFLR, Tech Innovation Award, Middle East Awards, 2023.
The American Lawyer, Legal Services Innovation Award, 2023.
CIO, Overruled/Russia Trade Controls Resource Center, CIO 100 Awards, 2023.
Law.com, Innovation Through Technology, The Middle East Legal Awards, 2022.
Financial Times, Innovation in Digitising Legal Services, FT Innovative Lawyers Standouts Awards, 2022.
WorldECR, Export Controls / Sanctions, Law Firm of the Year and Rest of the World Awards, 2021.

Affiliations and Public Service

Foreign affairs officer and field officer, State Department, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction.
Legal intern, DOJ, National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.