Michael Burton

Michael Burton is a partner at Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC. He has nearly 30 years of experience representing US and non-US clients on compliance with and enforcement of US export controls (EAR & ITAR), economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), antiboycott rules, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-money laundering, CFIUS/FIRRMA, outbound investment restrictions (OIR), and import laws. He counsels clients on complex trade controls issues, designs and audits corporate compliance programs, and has obtained numerous US government licenses authorizing transactions under these controls.

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Michael’s clients range from Fortune 500 companies with novel trade controls challenges to smaller companies without substantial in-house compliance resources. For each, he develops compliance systems to identify, avoid, and mitigate international regulatory risks. He also conducts internal investigations, compliance assessments, and due diligence, prepares voluntary disclosures, and defends and resolves enforcement actions before the US Departments of Commerce, Treasury, State, and Homeland Security. He regularly advises issuers, sponsors, and underwriters on US sanctions, export control, and outbound investment issues in Hong Kong listings.

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Previous Work

 

Before joining Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC, Michael was a Member at Miller & Chevalier Chartered and a Partner at Arent Fox, both in Washington, DC.

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Teaching and Professional Activities

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Michael is an Adjunct Associate Professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, where he teaches US Export Controls and Sanctions Law. 

 

Michael is a former Co-chair of the ABA Committee on Export Controls and Economic Sanctions and of the AAEI Committee on Export Compliance and Facilitation. He serves on the editorial board of the World Export Controls Review.

 

Publications and Presentations

 

Michael is a frequent speaker, author, and commentator and has been interviewed and quoted by Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BNA, the World Export Controls Review, Law360, and the BBC. He authored the “Antiboycott Compliance” chapter of the ABA Section of International Law’s International Guide to Export Controls and Economic Sanctions, Second Edition (2023), and of its earlier Handbook of Export Controls and Economic Sanctions (2013). He co-authored the Exporter’s Policy & Procedure Manual (Thomson Reuters / Boskage Commercial Publications, 2012), edited the “Export Controls and Economic Sanctions” chapter in The International Lawyer (Spring 2011), and co-authored “International Trade Considerations in International Joint Ventures” in the ABA’s Joint Ventures in the International Arena, Second Edition (2010). During law school, he served as a Notes and Comments Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal.

 

Recognition

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Michael is ranked in Chambers USA and Chambers Global for Export Controls and Economic Sanctions. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for International Trade and Finance Law and is recognized as a Thought Leader in Trade and Customs by the Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal). He has also been selected for Super Lawyers and is listed in Legal 500. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

 

Education

Georgetown University Law Center, JD  1997

• Magna cum laude; Order of the Coif

Brown University, BA (International Relations) 1994

• Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

 

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia Bar

• Maryland Bar