John R. O’Hara

International Trade & Regulatory

• Developed and implemented export and economic sanctions compliance policies, procedures, standard work, and training programs for companies of all sizes across multiple industries.
• Guided companies through the voluntary disclosure of violations of export and economic sanctions regulations and assisted in implementing required corrective actions.
• Assisted a global transportation company with day-to-day compliance support during an ongoing Department of Commerce settlement.
• Prepared and managed dozens of complex ITAR and EAR authorizations across a variety of military programs with over 30 foreign governments.
• Guided an organization through a Department of State consent agreement by assisting with the creation of new standard work, employee training, export authorization management, and ongoing audit and self-assessment support.
• Assisted multiple companies to better understand the nexus of international trade, government contracts, and data security requirements.

Government Contracts

• Advised clients in security clearance matters under the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM).
• Advised clients on compliance obligations under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
• Advised clients on compliance with information security, cybersecurity, and data privacy requirements, including the Department of Defense regulations relating to safeguarding covered defense information and compliance with the security requirements specified by the latest FAR regulations for safeguarding federal contractor systems.

Privacy and Cybersecurity

• Represented clients across a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, payment systems, healthcare & life sciences, aerospace & defense, and SaaS companies to conduct privacy and cybersecurity due diligence reviews as part of M&A transactions.

John O’Hara is a senior associate on the International Trade & Regulatory Team. John has experience across a variety of areas and regulations related to international trade such as export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR) administered by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, and economic and trade sanctions enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Before joining Alston & Bird, John was an associate for a D.C. law firm, where his practice spanned international trade, government contracts, and cybersecurity and privacy matters. Before his legal career, John spent several years as an international trade compliance manager for an American aerospace and defense corporation, where he managed all international trade requirements for military business development and advanced military development programs.

John also has experience in the U.S. Congress serving as an intern for congressmen Paul Ryan and Patrick McHenry and as a constituent visitor assistant for Senator Richard Burr.

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• New York

Education

• Quinnipiac University (J.D., 2018)
• Fairfield University (B.A., 2011)