Press Release 08.05.24
Waleed Nassar focuses his practice in the areas of international disputes, sanctions, commercial litigation, and financial fraud and asset tracing. He has particular experience with highly politicized legal matters involving the Middle East.
Waleed represents domestic and foreign clients on cross-border matters, serving as trusted counsel on a number of highly sensitive political cases, complex international commercial disputes and regulatory matters involving U.S. sanctions laws. His adept handling of these complex and high-stakes matters over the years has earned him a reputation as a trusted and pragmatic adviser to foreign governments, international businesses, NGOs and politically exposed persons alike.
Representative Experience
- Represented a series of high-ranking foreign officials and businessmen accused of corruption and other illicit conduct on OFAC de-listing petitions.
- Advised Saudi Arabian conglomerate in global litigation concerning complex financial service fraud totaling in excess of $10 billion, managing civil proceedings and government investigations in the Middle East, European Union and the United States.
- Represented Middle Eastern charities in multidistrict litigation relating to alleged violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other intentional tort claims, also successfully obtaining their de-listing from OFAC.
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- Advised foreign government on complex multidistrict litigation strategy.
- Provided strategic knowledge to ministers and top government officials of the Arab Republic of Egypt on repatriation of Mubarak-era assets.
- Represented a New York-based hedge fund, a victim of a multimillion-dollar fraudulent international money laundering scheme arising out of the Middle East, before various U.S.-based entities in ancillary support of legal actions filed abroad.
- Obtained the de-listing of foreign branch offices of Middle Eastern NGO from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control Specially Designated Nationals List after successful challenge of the designations.
- Orchestrated the successful briefing and oral argument of a highly sensitive motion in the Southern District of New York involving the introduction of suspected forgered documents, introducing evidence gathered from across the globe after months of forensic investigations and witness interviews of foreign parties to obtain the pre-trial striking of the documents by the court.
- Conducted cross and direct examinations of lay and expert witnesses in federal court suppression hearings and during a multiweek jury trial in high-profile international terrorism case that ultimately resulted in a jury verdict acquitting the client of 14 of the 18 charged offenses.
- Co-authored an amicus brief on behalf of former military officials involving the torture of Iraqi civilians by U.S. contractors in the infamous Abu Ghraib facility.
- Engineered complex cross-border negotiations between banking interests in the Middle East and the U.S. investors, leveraging international banking interests with and international diplomatic channels to obtain successful results.
- Negotiated successful pre-suit settlement on behalf of Middle Eastern situated party against U.S.-based health care provider, alleging multimillion-dollars in damages stemming from fraud and failure to provide proper services.
- Secured release of U.S. national sentenced to life in prison in Egypt on political charges, liaising with U.S. State Department, White House, members of Congress and key international power brokers over the course of his two-year detention.
- Negotiated a settlement with the U.S. government and whistleblower of a Civil False Claims Act claim lodged against corporate executive alleged to have participated in multimillion-dollar fraudulent billing scheme.
- Represented in detainee cases in federal court arising out of the Guantanamo and Bagram, Afghanistan detention facilities, pro bono.
Professional Highlights
- Recognized as an “Equality Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal in 2019 in its list of top lawyers who serve as “agents of change” through new legal strategies or innovative court cases.
- Awards
- Recognized by Super Lawyers as a 2017 Washington, DC, “Rising Star.”
- Recognized as an “Equality Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal in 2019 in its list of top lawyers who serve as “agents of change” through new legal strategies or innovative court cases.
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- Professional Affiliations
- Member, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Young Arbitrators Forum
- Publications & Events
- Navigating COVID-19 Business Disruptions in the Middle East, April 20, 2020.
- Legal Challenges to Middle East Businesses and Individuals in a Trump Presidency, November 2016.
- Statement on OFAC’S Removal of IIROSA Philippines and Indonesia from OFAC Specially Designated Nationals List, August 18, 2016.
- Statement on the Release of Mohamed Soltan, May 30, 2015.
- False Spring: Credit Suisse Had Deep Ties to Arab Elite on Eve of Historic Uprisings, OCCRP.org, February 21, 2022. Quoted.
- Rights Group: Egypt Police Raid Homes of Activist’s Uncles, AP, June 11, 2020. Quoted.
- U.S. Citizen Detained in Egypt Nearly Two Years Sues over Torture Courthouse News Service, June 1, 2020. Quoted.
- Mohamed Soltan, U.S. citizen Held as Political Prisoner, Files Torture Lawsuit Against Egypt’s Ex-Prime Minister, The Washington Post, June 1, 2020. Quoted.
- Russian Airline Sent American Passengers Back to India “Because of Their Skin Colour,” March 26, 2018. Quoted.
- Saudi Embassy May Have Funded 9/11 “Dry Run”: New York Post report, September 11, 2017. Quoted.
- U.S. Document Discovery in Cross-Border Litigation: What Can We Expect After JASTA?, Lexis Middle East Law, June 28, 2017. Quoted.
- Bracing for the Storm: Legal Challenges of Trump's Presidency, The New Arab, January 16, 2017
- Saudi-9/11 Fight Moves to Manhattan Courtroom, The Hill, October 9, 2016. Quoted.
- Five years on, Efforts to Recover Mubarak's Money Are Going Nowhere, Mada Masr, February 11, 2016. Quoted.
- U.S. Citizen Mohamed Soltan Freed from Egyptian Jail, BBC World Service Newshour, May 30, 2015. Quoted.
- Egypt Frees Ohio State Graduate from Life Sentence After 16-Month Hunger Strike, The Guardian, May 30, 2015. Quoted.
- Family Decries Life Sentence for U.S.-Egyptian Citizen, Aljazeera, April 12, 2015. Quoted.
- An End to Asset-Recovery?, Al-Ahram Weekly, August 28, 2013
- Towards Asset Recovery, Al-Ahram Weekly, February 12, 2013. Quoted.
- Safely Tucked Away?, Al-Ahram Weekly, January 30, 2013. Quoted.
- Egypt Hunts for Billions in Stolen Assets, The Business Monthly, American Chamber of Commerce Egypt, December 2012. Quoted.
- The Struggles of the Mubarak-Era Asset Recovery Process, October 4, 2012. Quoted.
- One Thing Egyptians Can Agree On, Daily News Egypt, July 19, 2012. Quoted.
Education
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J.D., New York University School of Law, 2007
B.B.A., Accounting and Finance, University of Michigan
Admissions
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District of Columbia
Virginia
Courts
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U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Clerkships
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Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Denise Page Hood, Eastern District of Michigan (2007-2008)
Languages
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Arabic