Sean brings over a decade of experience in international trade and national security to Akin. He advises clients across the aerospace, technology, financial services, life sciences, energy and other industries on complex regulatory compliance and enforcement issues under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and economic sanctions programs. He has a proven track record of guiding clients through internal investigations and high-profile enforcement actions, preparing voluntary self-disclosures and offering strategic legal solutions to his clients.      

Sean also has significant government experience, having served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State. During his tenure, he advised the U.S. Government on complex domestic and international legal issues, including economic sanctions, export controls and other foreign policy and national security matters.

Over the course of his career, Sean’s practice has included extensive litigation experience in civil, criminal, and international courts, including the U.S. Court of International Trade, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Court of International Justice.  He has also counseled clients on U.S. customs compliance and national security reviews conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). 

Sean received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as an executive senior editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Law. He holds a B.A./M.A. in philosophy from Boston College and studied international relations at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies.