Faegre Drinker Strengthens Customs and International Trade Team With Former OFAC Sanctions Regulations Advisor Diego Ortega

Faegre Drinker is pleased to announce that Diego Ortega has joined the firm as a government and regulatory counsel in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the firm, Ortega served the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for more than three years as a Sanctions Regulations Advisor. 

At OFAC, Ortega was a member of OFAC’s Regulatory Affairs division, which is responsible for the overall regulatory management of OFAC’s sanctions programs.  OFAC developed, drafted, and published regulations implementing U.S. economic sanctions authorities as well as general licenses to mitigate the unintended effects of sanctions actions. Ortega regularly participated in meetings with interagency partners, including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Security Council, providing guidance on regulatory matters concerning sanctions actions. He provided input on licensing and policy matters as well as OFAC’s public guidance documents such as FAQs.

“Diego brings a breadth of experience from his years with OFAC and will be tremendous for clients facing complex regulatory issues,” said Randy Rucker, leader of the firm’s customs and international trade team. “He will be an important asset for our team when working with different federal agencies, and we’re excited to have him onboard.”  

Ortega’s experience includes advising U.S. and non-U.S. multinational companies in a broad range of industries on economic sanctions, export controls, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), customs laws, and reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Prior to OFAC, he was a senior associate at a leading international law firm where his practice focused on international trade and national security matters. Ortega has represented clients in a variety of industries, including energy, aviation, health care and pharmaceutical, software, consumer goods, logistics, and manufacturing.

Ortega earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. 

About Faegre Drinker 

From multinational corporations with complex supply chains and global investments to small businesses looking to grow and manage operations on an international scale, we provide clients with experienced regulatory, policy and compliance counsel needed to navigate the evolving international trade landscape and pursue opportunities in the global marketplace with confidence. With professionals who are authorities in import compliance, export controls, trade sanctions, national security, trade remedies and international trade policy, we provide effective, cost-conscious legal advice on a wide variety of regulatory, policy and compliance matters to help you develop strategies that grow your investments and enhance your success by minimizing duties, maximizing compliance, and working toward an uninterrupted supply chain and seamless cross-border transactions. Additionally, when litigation proves advantageous or unavoidable, our experienced litigators stand ready to pursue the strategy needed for success. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures you have all you need to thrive on an international scale.