Alexandra E. P. Baj is of counsel in Steptoe's Washington office, where she is a member of the International Department. Ms. Baj's practice primarily involves export controls and economic sanctions laws and regulations, anti-corruption investigations and compliance, international trade, and security clearance issues.

Export Controls and Economic Sanctions

Ms. Baj advises clients on export control and economic sanctions laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), US sanctions regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and nuclear export controls under the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Her export/sanctions practice covers compliance development and implementation, training, operational and transactional counseling, licensing and advisory opinions, export control jurisdictional and classification analysis and determinations pursuant to the ITAR and EAR, mergers and acquisitions export controls due diligence, internal investigations, enforcement matters, including preparing and filing voluntary disclosures, and regulatory policy.

Anti-Corruption

Ms. Baj's practice also involves advising multi-national companies on US and foreign anti-corruption laws. This work includes conducting internal investigations, audits, and risk assessments under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other statutes, as well as the development of anti-corruption compliance policies and procedures.

International Trade

Ms. Baj counsels clients on trade issues arising out of the US antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguards statutes, as well as bilateral and multilateral relationships with various US trading partners to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO), and customs matters with US Customs and Border Protection. She has represented clients before the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission. Past representations have also included appeals at the Federal Circuit and at the US Court of International Trade, NAFTA Panels, the WTO, and at the US Supreme Court.

Security Clearances

Ms. Baj’s practice includes advising clients regarding personnel and facility security clearance issues for businesses working with classified information pursuant to the National Industrial Security Program. Ms. Baj has represented clients regarding facility clearance issues in mergers and acquisitions and has assisted individuals in addressing adverse findings regarding personnel security clearances.

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Ms. Baj has represented clients in the defense, aerospace, software, steel, lumber, nuclear, capital equipment, and food processing industries.

Prior to joining Steptoe, Ms. Baj gained experience in corporate and transactional matters involving international clients. Her work included international securities offerings, joint ventures with US and Russian clients, and structured finance projects.

Prior to law school, Ms. Baj worked in St. Petersburg, Russia, and also served as a Regional Director of Sister Cities International, a US-based citizen diplomacy organization.

Ms. Baj provides pro bono representation to clients in a number of areas, including consumer protection, small business issues, international trade, and family law.