Rob O'Brien
Biography
Rob is an international trade associate in Baker McKenzie's San Francisco office. He assists multinational companies on various aspects of US trade law, particularly export controls, sanctions, and customs.
Rob graduated from UCLA School of Law, where he was the editor-in-chief of the UCLA Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law for three volumes. Before joining the Firm, Rob interned with the US Commerce Department, advising middle- and low-income countries on laws impacting commercial development, and worked as an open-source intelligence contractor with the Department of Defense.
Practice Focus
Rob advises on issues involving the impact of US export control, sanctions, and customs law on the transnational flow of goods, software, technology, and services. He helps clients (including companies in the semiconductor, AI, medical devices, mining, telecommunications, and finance sectors) navigate:
- Investigations and enforcement actions
- Licensing
- Advisory rulings and requests
- Transactional due diligence
- Day-to-day compliance
He advises clients on the legal, policy, and enforcement issues arising under:
- Sanctions programs administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control
- The Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations
- The State Department's International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- Import regulations under Customs and Border Protection
Admissions
- California~United States (2022)
Education
- UCLA School of Law (JD, specialization in International and Comparative Law) (2022)
- University of Notre Dame (BA, major in International Economics and Arabic) (2017)
Languages
- English