Rob O'Brien
Biography
Rob is an associate in the International Commercial & Trade Practice Group in Baker McKenzie's San Francisco office. He assists multinational companies on various aspects of US trade law, particularly OFAC sanctions and export control.
Before joining the Firm, Rob interned with the US Department of Commerce, advising middle- and low-income countries on commercial laws and development, and worked as an open-source intelligence contractor with the Department of Defense. Rob graduated from UCLA School of Law, where he was the editor-in-chief of the UCLA Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law for three volumes.
Practice Focus
Rob assists multinational companies on OFAC sanctions, export controls, and other trade laws in the context of compliance, licensing, internal investigations, mergers and acquisitions, government disclosures, and enforcement actions.
He has experience assisting clients navigate sanctions and export control in the following sectors: semiconductor design and manufacturing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and financial services. Rob has also assisted start-ups and medium-sized businesses encountering OFAC sanctions and export controls for the first time.
Rob's pro bono practice includes providing sanctions and export control advice to a global NGO providing humanitarian relief in conflict zones. He also advises a global pro-bono law firm in advocacy matters relevant to sanctions and export controls. He has also served on the board of directors of a nonprofit working to improve the mental health environment for university students.
Admissions
- California~United States (2022)
Education
- UCLA School of Law (JD, specialization in International and Comparative Law) (2022)
- University of Notre Dame (BA, major in International Economics and Arabic) (2017)
Languages
- English