Covington announced last week that it opened a trade controls enforcement practice group to represent clients in sanctions and export controls investigations. The practice group combines the firm's trade controls regulatory practice and its white collar defense and investigations practice and will house teams in China, the EU, the U.K. and the U.S. Eric Sandberg-Zakian, a sanctions and export controls partner based in Washington, D.C., will head the practice group, Covington said.

Business consulting firm FTI Consulting launched a national security practice that will offer advice on various national security issues, including export controls, reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., sanctions, and "transshipment and diversion of critical technology." Michael Driscoll, former assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York office, will lead the practice.

Square Patton opened an office in Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on practice areas including international trade, sanctions, international dispute resolution and government investigations. The office is the firm's 17th European shop and will be led by Kate Sherrard, a financial services partner and co-head of the commodities and shipping practice group, the firm said July 17.

Global law firm Dentons on May 20 announced the launch of "a comprehensive offering to support" businesses in navigating the "opportunities and challenges" from the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership, a deal that is expected to lead to new defense trade exemptions and other business opportunities for companies from the three countries (see 2404300050, 2404180035 and 2405140038). The firm said it will help companies "participate in public-private partnership opportunities afforded by AUKUS and navigate funding, policy, and regulatory issues." Those may include issues relating to defense contracting, technology transfers, supply chain integration and new export markets, it said.

Risk advisory firm Kharon signed a contract with the Treasury Department that will give the agency access to Kharon's risk analytics platform and services, Kharon said in a May 7 news release. The company said Treasury will use Kharon's platform to help "with its mission of disrupting the financial operations that underpin the networks of foreign actors tied to global security threats," including terrorism, weapons proliferation, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, human rights violations and more. Kharon didn't disclose the terms of the contract.

OverRuled, a research platform managed by Akin Gump focused on government regulatory and enforcement data, has acquired sanctions guidance research system Turbofac, Akin Gump said last week. The firm said Turbofac, a database that compiles guidance statements and other documents from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, will make OverRuled an “essential one-stop-shop for sanctions professionals globally.” The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Descartes Systems Group is buying export compliance solutions and content provider OCR Services, it said March 28. Descartes acquired OCR for about $90 million.

AIT Worldwide Logistics acquired the Netherlands-based Global Transport Solutions Group, a “prominent international freight forwarder specializing in time-critical marine spare parts logistics,” AIT said in a Feb. 1 news release. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Private equity firm TPG acquired a majority stake in Sayari, it said in a news release Jan. 16. The agreement between the companies allows TPG “to make an up to $228 million strategic majority investment in Sayari,” the release said. “Sayari’s founders, employees, and existing investors will retain a significant stake in the company.” Sayari recently won government contracts for services to support anti-forced labor efforts by CBP and the Labor Department (see 2401050051).

China's stranglehold on minerals used in electric vehicle battery-making, and their head start on making quality, affordable EVs makes U.S. and European firms anxious, panelists said at a Georgetown Business School webinar on the future of auto value chains.