Government announces General Licence for Legal Advisory Services re Russian sanctions
Responding to the concerns felt by many UK solicitors and barristers, today 11 August 2023, the government has amended the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2023, by providing a general licence to provide legal advisory services to clients affected by or seeking to divest themselves of Russian commercial interests. This will enable UK lawyers to provide legal advice in respect of compliance with sanctions and other UK regulatory/criminal regimes. The new general licence provisions will also enable British lawyers to give advice on compliance with international sanctions regimes, including EU and US, whereas the earlier regulations limited advice to UK sanctions regimes. This is welcome news for businesses who want to take a global view of their legal responsibilities and who want the expertise of UK lawyers to help them achieve that.