Shiva Aminian’s practice focuses on international trade, with an emphasis on U.S. export controls, sanctions, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and trade policy. Ms. Aminian counsels clients on compliance issues, as well as internal investigations involving alleged criminal and civil breaches of U.S. trade control laws. She has experience representing clients in matters involving grand jury subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of U.S. sanctions, as well as subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Ms. Aminian has also represented clients in internal investigations involving alleged breaches of FCPA and allegations of corruption by the World Bank against companies. In addition, she has led internal investigations in both U.S. and international locations involving potential breaches of U.S. export control regulations and has drafted numerous voluntary disclosures to the U.S. State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
Apart from internal investigations, Ms. Aminian has counseled clients on compliance with U.S. export control regulations, specifically the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. She has extensive experience working on-site at aerospace companies and structuring compliance programs, including initiatives involving the export control jurisdiction and classification of legacy products. Ms. Aminian has broad experience drafting commodity jurisdiction requests and counseling clients on complex issues involving licensing and the extraterritorial reach of U.S. trade controls. In addition, she has structured and conducted numerous audits of compliance programs, both at U.S. and international facilities. Ms. Aminian has also represented investors and underwriters on U.S. trade controls due diligence in the context of acquisition and financial deals.
Prior to joining Akin Gump, Ms. Aminian was an associate at another international law firm. She clerked at D.C. Superior Court for the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. She received her J.D. cum laude in 2004 from American University Washington College of Laws and her B.A. cum laude in comparative literature from Washington University in St. Louis.
Ms. Aminian is a member of the District of Columbia and California bars. She is fluent in French and Farsi.