Michelle Linderman leads Van Bael & Bellis’ London-based International Trade team. She specialises in providing clients with strategic and commercial advice on all aspects of international financial and trade sanctions and export control. With over 25 years in practice and more than a decade advising clients on EU and UK sanctions matters she is a genuine sanctions specialist.

Michelle also advises on anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, modern slavery, cybersecurity and other compliance and risk issues.

During the course of her career, she has advised a range of clients across numerous sectors including trade, shipping and transport, insurance, banking and finance, technology, manufacturing, energy, and aviation.

Michelle’s practice focuses on providing guidance on compliance with EU and UK trade and financial sanctions; advising on the impact of new sanctions on contracts and commercial obligations; drafting and advising on sanctions compliance policies and procedures; drafting and advising on sanctions exclusion clauses and other contractual clauses; advising on sanctions enforcement; conducting internal investigations in relation to suspected sanctions breaches; advising on applications for licences; and responding to government enquiries and investigations.

She regularly engages with the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and other regulators both in the UK and in various EU Member States to apply for licences and authorisations, to seek guidance and to respond to government enquiries and investigations.

Michelle also has significant expertise handling complex commercial disputes both in arbitration and litigation. This background in disputes enables her to provide strategic, practical and commercially-focussed guidance to help clients to successfully navigate the increasingly complex web of international sanctions.

Tom practises as an associate in Debevoise & Plimpton’s London office. His practice focuses on complex international litigation and advice, with a particular emphasis on public international law and sanctions.

Tom is the co-author of ‘Sanctions Law’, which was published in January 2019 with a view to providing an accessible overview of sanctions law across a number of different jurisdictions. He has continued to write regularly on sanctions developments, and taught a sanctions module as part of the undergraduate law course at Lund University, Sweden.

Prior to joining Debevoise, Tom practised as a barrister and was Judicial Assistant to the Rt. Hon. Lord Dyson MR at the Court of Appeal for Easter and Trinity terms 2015. Tom also worked as a Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Luke leads the Forvis Mazars UK Financial crime team, supporting clients across a broad range of issues covering money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions, to bribery and corruption, insider dealing and fraud.
Luke has helped a number of firms both in anticipation of and in response to regulatory enforcement, including acting as skilled person on s166 reviews focused on financial crime. Having spent the first 10 years of his career working as a forensic accountant and investigator, Luke is passionate about helping fight financial crime.
Luke is a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (ACAMS), has an ICA AML Diploma and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA). He also is an Accredited Counter Fraud Examiner (ACFE)

Stuart Gamester has been building and managing Ethics & Compliance processes for over 25 years in various multinational companies and also with Government Legislators, such as the Export Control Organisation and HMRC. Highly experienced in Import / Export controls, Sanctions, AML, ABC, with a UK/EU/US/Asia angle.

Stuart has developed and managed restricted party / KYC screening tools, built compliance processes and systems for trade / customs, risk assessment and management and is a qualified auditor (working with UK Government and multinational defence, pharmaceutical and oil & gas companies).

Out of work Stuart still tries to play cricket and is a Kent Cricket Club qualified coach, coaching at youth level.

Stacy specialises in financial crime and has extensive experience advising on enforcement, investigations and compliance, covering trade and financial sanctions, export controls, bribery and money laundering. She advises on all aspects of EU and UK sanctions and is also familiar with the application of US sanctions.