OFSI’s first assessment of the threat to UK financial sanctions compliance posed by the legal services sector concludes that most non-compliance by UK legal services providers almost certainly consists of breaches of OFSI licence conditions. Legal services prohibitionTrade sanctions have directly targeted the provision of legal services under one of the SAMLA sanctions regimes since 30 June 2023. The provision of legal services cannot directly or indirectly make economic resources available to a designated person in breach of an asset freeze if the designated person is not likely to exchange legal services for, or use legal services in exchange for, funds, goods or services. General legal fees licencesOFSI has granted general licences for legal fees on several occasions. Specific legal fees licencesApplications for specific legal fees licences are made using the prescribed form.
