Leigh T. Hansson

Leigh has significant experience representing multi-national corporations in a wide range of industries, including financial services, defense and aerospace, shipping and maritime, education, manufacturing, life sciences, and energy and natural resources. She counsels clients in the legal regimes that govern international trade including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and European Union and UK sanctions, money laundering, and anti-boycott issues. Her work in these areas also involves practice before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and advising companies on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Leigh provides solutions for clients in a variety of contexts, including:

• Performing audits and internal investigations
• Government enforcement and investigation matters
• Conducting merger and acquisition due diligence reviews
• Supply chain management
• Designing and implementing trade compliance programs
• Conducting compliance training

She routinely represents clients in enforcement matters before OFAC, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other federal agencies. During the last several years, Leigh and her international team have represented clients in hundreds of enforcement matters, including voluntary disclosures and agency-led investigations (subpoenas, directed disclosures, seizures and detentions).

Leigh and the practice group are both ranked in Chambers USA for “International Trade: Export Controls and Economic Sanctions” and in Legal 500 USA for “International Trade”. Leigh is also recognized in the Legal 500 UK "Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime" category, with clients remarking that the “technically brilliant Leigh” is “amazing at quick response time, personalised follow-up, good understanding of customer’s business, pleasant communication, ability to deal on short notice with very urgent and non-conventional situations”. Clients also note that “Leigh Hansson is really the unique selling point. Leigh is uniquely placed as a highly qualified US sanctions and compliance lawyer based in London. She is very responsive. As sanctions matters are often urgent in the trading/shipping sector, this is a huge plus. Leigh doesn’t sit on the fence and she doesn’t make a mountain out of a molehill: she is a business enabler. We appreciate her clear advice and options, as well as her professionalism and approach to collaboration. She is also refreshingly succinct." In 2023, for the second year running, Leigh was named as one of the top 10 maritime lawyers by Lloyd’s List, noting that Leigh is “arguably the best-known name in the specialism". Leigh is featured as a Star Lawyer by independent research company Acritas due to excellent feedback from clients and also in Brummell Magazine's Inspirational Women List for 2018.