Professional profile
About Helena
EU Sanctions and Dual-Use Export Control Counsel in Brussels
Dr. Helena Vance advises financial institutions, multinational manufacturers, logistics providers and technology firms on EU economic sanctions, restrictive measures and dual-use export controls, with nearly two decades of experience spanning compliance, licensing, enforcement defence and internal investigations.
Dr. Vance is a senior partner in the International Trade, Sanctions and Export Controls practice group. She is qualified in Belgium (Brussels Bar) and Germany (Frankfurt Bar) and works in English, German and French. Before private practice she served as a legal policy adviser to an EU member state delegation on foreign affairs and trade, giving her direct familiarity with the mechanics of the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and national competent authorities across the EU.
EU Economic Sanctions and Asset Freezes
Dr. Vance advises on the interpretation and implementation of EU country-specific and horizontal sanctions regimes, including measures concerning Russia, Belarus, Iran, Syria and the counter-terrorism framework lists. A core part of her work is the ownership and control analysis that EU sanctions law requires: the "50% rule" and control tests that determine whether an entity is caught by an asset freeze even when it is not itself listed. She assists EU and non-EU companies in applying for derogations, authorisations and licences from national competent authorities, including BAFA in Germany, the French Treasury and MFEA in Belgium, to unwind pre-existing transactions or complete permitted dealings, and guides financial institutions and payment service providers through transaction screening, frozen-asset management and reporting obligations under the revised anti-circumvention provisions.
EU Dual-Use Export Controls and Technical Assistance
Her export-control practice covers classification analysis for advanced industrial items, electronics, software, encryption tools, chemicals and emerging technologies under Annex I of the EU Dual-Use Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/821); the design of internal compliance programmes with end-use and end-user screening, catch-all clauses and intangible technology transfer controls; general, global and individual export authorisation applications across multiple EU jurisdictions; and the export restrictions around dual-use items used for cyber-surveillance, high-performance computing and semiconductor manufacturing.
Anti-Circumvention, Enforcement Defence and Administrative Litigation
Dr. Vance conducts internal investigations into suspected sanctions breaches, unauthorised exports and supply-chain circumvention risk across European subsidiaries, and represents corporate clients and senior executives in administrative enforcement proceedings, penalty negotiations and criminal referrals initiated by national customs authorities and public prosecutors. She also files annulment actions and appeals before the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg against restrictive measures, asset-freeze listings and administrative export denials, and advises non-EU entities on the scope and application of the EU Blocking Statute (Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) where foreign extraterritorial sanctions conflict with EU law.
Engagement Approach
Dr. Vance works in English, German and French and coordinates with EU and national regulatory counsel so that sanctions and export-control advice is aligned with the client's global compliance architecture. Engagements are confirmed in writing with clear scope and communication protocols. New inquiries are handled through this profile's contact form, routed by listing id.
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