OFAC Chief Counsel Joins Skadden

NEW YORK – April 30, 2012 – Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP announced today that Sean M. Thornton, chief counsel of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is joining the firm's financial institutions regulation and enforcement group in the Washington, D.C. office, effective April 30.             
 
Mr. Thornton has been OFAC's chief counsel since 2005, and he has been with the Treasury Department since 2001. He has supervised numerous high-profile legal matters for OFAC, including global settlements with U.S. and foreign banks and the successful defense of OFAC's authorities in relation to counterterrorism issues and sanctions against Cuba and Iraq.
 
"We are thrilled Sean will be joining our firm after spending more than a decade at the Treasury Department," said Clifford (Mike) Naeve, head of Skadden's Washington office. "His high-level public sector experience and reputation as a regulator are unparalleled."
 
William J. Sweet, Jr., head of Skadden's financial institutions regulation and enforcement group, added, "Sean's ability to help clients navigate the evolving international financial regulatory landscape and new enforcement regime will be a tremendous asset to our clients."
 
"Skadden's global client base and extensive range of practices provide a great platform," said Mr. Thornton. "I am excited about the opportunities the firm and its clients present, and I look forward to working with such a well-regarded group of attorneys."  
 
Mr. Thornton joined the Treasury Department's Office of the General Counsel in 2001 as an attorney adviser. He served as a senior adviser to the general counsel from 2003 to 2005.
 
A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Mr. Thornton received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College.