Charles (Charlie) Steele is a Professional Associate in the Business Crime, Regulatory and Sanctions team, based in Washington DC.
Charlie is a former senior US Treasury Department, Department of Justice, and FBI official with more than 35 years of government and private-sector experience in regulatory and criminal compliance, investigations, enforcement, and litigation matters, in a variety of industries and sectors. He has worked primarily on US economic sanctions and anti-money laundering matters since 2009; before that, he worked on a broad range of complex white-collar and national security investigations, prosecutions, and other matters.
In addition to his role as a Professional Associate, Charlie has a solo law practice, the Law Office of Charles Steele. He advises and represents clients primarily on US economic sanctions matters, including counselling, compliance advice, delisting petitions, license applications, enforcement actions, and training. He also helps clients with anti-money laundering enforcement matters. He is available to serve in mitigation roles in foreign direct investment matters before the US Government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).
Charlie also works with Forensic Risk Alliance, a UK- and US-based global market leader in forensic consulting.
Charlie’s most recent government service was as Chief Counsel for the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), where he led the team of lawyers providing legal advice and support to OFAC in the administration and enforcement of US economic sanctions. He previously held the positions of Associate OFAC Director in charge of Enforcement, Deputy Director of FinCEN (the US anti-money laundering agency), FBI Deputy General Counsel, Chief of Staff to the FBI Director, and Chief of Staff of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. He began his legal career serving as an Assistant US Attorney (federal prosecutor) for 12 years, conducting dozens of grand jury investigations, 27 jury trials, and several appeals in US Courts of Appeal.
Charlie works closely with his colleagues in the Business Crime, Regulatory and Sanctions team at Outer Temple Chambers on matters with a US element which may require his expertise and knowledge of the relevant laws.
Charlie is a former Chief Counsel for the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), where he led the team of lawyers providing legal advice and support to OFAC in the administration and enforcement of US economic sanctions, in furtherance of US national security and foreign policy goals.
He also has many years’ experience in the private sector at international law firms and a global consulting firm, advising on economic sanctions and other matters.
Charlie has worked in both the government and private sector. As a federal prosecutor, Charlie conducted 27 jury trials, dozens of grand jury investigations, and several appeals in the US Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and District of Columbia Circuits. He has also worked in the private sector at international law firms and a global consulting firm specialising in economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, financial crimes, and anti-bribery and corruption.
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Previous positions held include:
