Courtney Mackness

Courtney advises on a broad range of international trade law matters, including in relation to EU and UK export control and sanctions laws (from both a compliance advisory and investigations perspective), trading under WTO terms, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures, import tariffs, product classification, Rules of Origin, customs-related matters, contractual rights and obligations, and trade-related due diligence for corporate matters.

Courtney also advises clients globally on international trade and regulatory issues arising as a result of the UK's departure from the EU, specifically with respect to trading under the Trade and Co-Operation Agreement and product specific regulations. Courtney's practice has also expanded to include advising on the new UK Foreign Direct Investment regime.

Courtney has experience advising clients across a range of sectors, including the automotive, consumer goods, defence, energy (including oil & gas), pharmaceutical and technology and telecommunications sectors. In particular, she has significant experience advising clients in the oil & gas, shipping industry and technology and telecommunications sectors on matters related to UK, EU and US sanctions and export control (both from a compliance and investigations perspective).

• Advised on a FTSE 100 energy company in relation to a commercial litigation arising as a result of the UK sanctions regime targeting Russia, including assisting with licence applications and engagements with key sanctions regulators.
• Courtney provides ongoing support to an international non-governmental organisation in respect of its compliance with UK, EU and US sanctions across a number of country and thematic regimes, as well as in respect of other regulatory risks (including anti-terrorist financing), as part of Baker McKenzie's pro-bono program.
• Advised a range of clients in respect of new UK and EU Russia sanctions, including a FTSE 100 global pharmaceutical company in respect of its compliance with the UK and EU professional services ban and an oil & gas company in respect of its disposal of Russian-operations.
• Advised on the applicability of the UK's Foreign Direct Investment regime to proposed acquisitions across a range of sectors, including assisting with mandatory notification filings in the UK.
• Courtney spent 3 years on secondment at the trading entity of a global major energy company where she had a key role in providing subject matter expertise advice concerning sanctions and trade controls across a variety of UK, EU and US country and thematic regimes, including in respect of risk assessments, the design and implementation of sanctions controls, sanctions and trade controls regulation mapping and policy and procedures, as well as providing day-to-day advice in respect of the various sanctions regimes.
• Advised a multinational automotive company on importing vehicles into the UK following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, including in respect of rules of origin and satisfying cumulation under the Trade and Co-Operation Agreement and the EU-South African Customs Union Free Trade Agreement.
• Provided on-going support to a supplier of PPE and medical devices in respect of product specific requirements (UKCA/CE marking, conformity assessment procedures, EC examination-type certificates and labelling requirements) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Advised a manufacturer of sporting equipment in respect of an investigation by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs into export control violations as it relates to military controlled items.
• Advised a global trading company on its compliance with EU and UK energy sector regulations, specifically in the context of REMIT reporting and insider trading.
• Advised a global supplier of alcoholic beverages on import classification and the impact of the newly imposed EU countermeasures relating to US imports on their EU operations.