Speakers

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Travis is an international trade and compliance attorney specializing in ITAR/EAR/Sanctions; global anti-bribery anti-corruption, human trafficking and slavery, code of conduct, environmental, and health and safety regulations; product stewardship (RoHS/REACH/Conflict Minerals); and corporate social responsibility (corporate ethics, CSR/CDP reporting, SEC filings). He manages Assent’s worldwide legal activities, such as advising the board of directors on legal matters and overseeing corporate compliance, governance initiatives and other commercial transactions. Travis provides legal support and insight to every team at the company, from sales to services, and partner organizations.

Ashley Coselli is a Senior Ethics & Compliance Counsel with Total American Services.  Her practice specializes in corporate compliance including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), trade compliance, economic sanctions, data privacy/protection and antitrust compliance.  She has extensive experience conducting due diligence of third party representatives that includes identification of anti-bribery, trade, sanctions, human rights and ethical risks and conducting anti-corruption audits and internal investigations.  Her expertise includes the development and implementation of ethics and compliance programs and processes along with partnering with dedicated trade compliance team.   Prior to joining Total, Ms. Coselli held compliance roles with mining and energy companies.  Ms. Coselli earned her law degree from South Texas College of Law and a B.B.A in Finance from Texas Tech University.  Prior to attending law school, she worked as a tax consultant, specializing in state and local taxes.  

Lana Muranovic counsels U.S. and foreign companies regarding a wide scope of international trade matters.  She has extensive experience related to U.S. import and export controls, sanctions, and anti-bribery laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), U.S. economic sanctions and embargo programs, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the UK Bribery Act.   Lana regularly represents clients before U.S. government agencies, including the Departments of Commerce, State, Defense and Treasury, as well as before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS).  In her practice, Lana has assisted clients across a myriad of industries with compliance, export jurisdiction and classification issues, licensing determinations, regulatory disclosures, the design and implementation of export and import compliance programs, and enforcement actions.  Lana’s depth of knowledge, experience, and practical approach make her an effective advocate for clients seeking to navigate complex regulatory issues in an effective manner.

With nearly 15 years of experience, Ginger Faulk represents multinational companies in matters involving US government regulation of foreign trade and investment. She has extensive experience advising and representing global companies in the energy, defense, aerospace, telecommunication, software and other high-tech industries, counseling clients in matters arising under US sanctions, export controls, import and other national security and foreign policy trade-related regulations.   Before joining Eversheds Sutherland, Ginger worked for a global law firm where she represented multinational corporations in a variety of geographies and industry sectors, supporting clients in identifying, managing and addressing strategic, compliance and enforcement risks under various US trade laws and regulations. Specifically, Ginger is experienced in conducting large-scale compliance systems reviews, leading and responding to due diligence and systems reviews in major multinational M&A transactions, and advising and representing clients before the Office of Foreign Assets Control  (OFAC), the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in licensing and enforcement matters. She also regularly advises and represents buyers and sellers before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).   With a focus on the energy sector, Ginger has conducted expansive US economic sanctions, export controls and anticorruption investigations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. She also advised clients under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Dr. Dean Foreman was named Chief Economist for the American Petroleum Institute in December of 2017. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Florida and brings more than 20 years of industry experience in corporate strategic planning, forecasting, risk management, and finance. Before joining API, Dr. Foreman was the lead economist for ExxonMobil Corporate Planning between 2002 and 2008. From 2009 to 2013, he was a member of the executive team at Canadian-based exploration and production company Talisman Energy, where he focused on corporate planning, hedging/marketing, and business development. In 2013 to 2015, he directed the risk management function in North America for South African energy and petrochemical conglomerate Sasol, where he helped drive business cases for $25 billion in U.S. mega projects, including the $11 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Most recently, he was with Saudi Aramco Strategy & Market Analysis in Dhahran, where he managed short-term market monitoring and the long-term oil demand outlook. Dr. Foreman has continued to publish in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at the World Energy Congress, International Economic Forum of the Americas, and WorldEconomic Forum.

JAY G. MARTIN is the Associate General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Baker Hughes, a GE Company (“BHGE”). Prior to joining BHGE, Mr. Martin was a Shareholder at Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C., a Partner at Phelps Dunbar and Andrews & Kurth, and the Assistant General Counsel of Mobil Oil Corporation’s Worldwide Exploration and Production Division in Fairfax, Virginia.  Mr. Martin has also served as General Counsel of Mobil Natural Gas, Inc. in Houston, Texas.  Mr. Martin holds JD, MPA and BBA degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. While in private practice, Mr. Martin was engaged in a wide variety of domestic and international energy transactions, and regulatory matters for natural gas exploration and producing companies, oil field service companies, marketers, pipelines and refiners. Mr. Martin’s practice involved such diverse matters as participating in generic federal and state restructuring proceedings in the natural gas and electric industries, drafting virtually every type of domestic and international oil and gas agreement, working on mergers and acquisitions, asset acquisitions and divestitures, handling a significant number of energy lending transactions including but not limited to mezzanine and conventional production based financing's and work-out situations, and advising clients on a wide variety of natural gas marketing and processing matters.  Mr. Martin also regularly handled problems for clients arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws and Arab Boycott Regulation. In addition, Mr. Martin developed broad experience in crisis management, designed corporate compliance programs for clients, and conducted many types of internal investigations for clients.  

Ellen C. Smith is Executive Counsel – International Trade Compliance, Baker Hughes, a GE company, where she leads a global team of trade compliance professionals responsible for daily import, export, trade sanctions and boycott compliance advice, training and program development, implementation and administration.    Ellen has held various Trade Compliance roles in O&G for almost ten years.  Before moving to Houston in 2010, Ellen was Compliance Counsel at Jockey International and prior to joining Jockey; she was in private practice in Chicago for several years.  Ellen earned her undergraduate degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and received her JD  from The John Marshall Law School, in Chicago, Illinois.

Steven Ramsey is the Director of Global Logistics at Baker Hughes, a GE Company. He is a proven senior leader in logistics, trade compliance and supply chain operations, with more than fifteen years in the oil and gas industry. He is experienced in developing and executing complex business strategies which increase internal and external customer satisfaction, strengthen third party relationships, and deliver financial benefit to the business.

Joerg G. Schneider is the Director of Procurement and Subcontracts for Bilfinger North America. In his role, Mr. Schneider oversees the procurement and subcontracting operations of the division comprising four separate group companies and the division headquarters. Prior to joining Bilfinger, Mr. Schneider served as Procurement Manager for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International, where he built a supply chain organization from the ground up to support the new Pearland, TX based state of the art manufacturing and service facility for compressors and steam turbines. Mr. Schneider began his career as a trainee with MAN Energy Solutions SE (fka as MAN Turbo AG) in Germany and subsequently held positions in Procurement and Contract Management with the company, before he transferred to its Houston, TX based US subsidiary to build a Procurement function for the growing North America operations. Mr. Schneider holds a Certificate of Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Industrial Business Management, a German dual education program that he graduated from with honors.

Sergio V. Leal is the Compliance Officer for Bilfinger North America where he serves as Chief Compliance Officer of four separate group companies. Mr. Leal works on issues related to Bilfinger's Extended Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and associated monitorship. In his role, Mr. Leal oversees internal investigations, anti-corruption and antitrust matters, data privacy, and Code of Conduct enforcement. Prior to Bilfinger, Mr. Leal served as Chief Compliance Officer of Layne Christensen Company where he successfully obtained a full release from the company’s FCPA settlement obligations under its agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Prior to moving in-house, Mr. Leal began his legal career as a litigator with Baker Botts L.L.P. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Pablo Zarra is the Contracting Discipline Manager at Chevron Corporation based in Houston. He is responsible for leading the contracting function at the enterprise level for Chevron. Beginning his 25-year career with Chevron in Argentina, Pablo has dedicated his professional career to delivering results in a wide range of Contracting and Supply Chain Management positions of increasing responsibility in Argentina and Venezuela (overseeing Latin American operations) and in the United States in California and Texas. His business travels have taken him to operations in Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Kazakhstan, China, Angola, Nigeria, and other key locations. These diverse assignments have provided him in-depth experience in strategic and operational aspects of Contracting and SCM. Pablo has a deep understanding of the challenges and complexity of contracting in a global environment and of the increasing demands this complexity places on contracting professionals. He is passionate about improving contracting organizational capability and increasing the value delivered to the business by the Contracting discipline. A member of the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management, Pablo received his Bachelor's degree in Law and postgraduate degree in Oil Law from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and has a certificate in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University.

Gray Stratton is a white collar enforcement and compliance lawyer and litigator. Gray's practice focuses on regulatory compliance, internal investigations, and investigations and enforcement actions initiated by federal and state regulatory agencies, including SEC, DOJ, and OFAC, among others. He has conducted numerous internal investigations and defended numerous investigations and regulatory enforcement actions, including qui tam suits. Gray is experienced in guiding clients through multi-front litigation, including civil, regulatory and criminal proceedings. Among his clients are public and private companies, officers and directors, energy companies, chemical companies, trading companies, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, logistics companies, technology companies, insurance companies, banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, broker-dealers and investment advisers. Gray has an active regulatory compliance practice, advising public and private companies on bribery risks and controls in cross-border and M&A transactions and the design and implementation of anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and export controls policies and procedures, among other things. Before entering private practice, Gray served as Senior Counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, where he led investigations and enforcement proceedings concerning foreign corruption, financial fraud, hedge fund operations, insider trading and market manipulation. While with the Commission, he was involved in several high-profile civil and criminal actions that arose from the SEC's investigations of Tyco International Ltd., Refco Inc. and Cendant Corporation. During his work with the SEC, he was awarded the Enforcement Division Director's Award for outstanding contribution to the enforcement of the federal securities laws.

Kathy Canaan, a Fluor Fellow, serves Fluor as Global Director Trade Compliance responsible for planning, directing and managing the company’s international trade compliance program.  In prior roles at Fluor, Canaan had responsibility for global functional leadership of Fluor's logistics personnel as well as project logistics leadership and strategic sourcing roles.  Before joining Fluor in 2001, Canaan was a project logistics manager in Houston, Texas. Fluor is one of the world’s largest publicly traded engineering, procurement, construction (EPC), maintenance, and project management companies. Fluor works with governments and Clients in diverse industries around the world to design, construct, and maintain complex and challenging capital projects.

Mr. Colby is currently General Counsel for GOWell International, LLC, a wireline technology company in the Oil & Gas Industry in Houston.  He began his career as lawyer in New York City in preeminent firms such as Paul Weiss and the former Dewey Ballantine.  After moving to Houston, Mr. Colby worked at Fulbright & Jaworski and with such companies as HCC Insurance Holdings, Worley Parsons and Parker Drilling. His experience ranges from domestic and international corporate and commercial transactions, compliance issues, including FCPA matters, Intellectual Property, international M&A, structured finance and corporate governance. Mr. Colby is originally from Brazil and speaks fluently English, Portuguese and Spanish.  He has traveled for business to Brazil, UAE, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Venezuela and China and has negotiated transactions in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Colby is a graduate a Fordham Law School and is admitted in New York and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.  He is also a FINRA arbitrator and has been a speaker at several seminars such as at “Presidential Executive Orders and International Sanctions: Guidance for Navigating Treacherous Waters”,  “A New Country Risk Assessment: A Compliance Officers Guide to New Market Entry in the Oil & Gas Sector” and the “First Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Mock Trial Institute in Houston – 2016”.  Mr. Colby also published an article titled “Brazil and the MST: Land Reform and Human Rights,” The New York International Law Review, Summer 2003 (16 N.Y. Int’l L. Rev. 1).    

Mr. Almar is Sr. Counsel and Chief of Regional Compliance at Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. in Houston, Texas. He manages the Regional Compliance Counsel Practice Group and Halliburton’s Local Ethics Officer Program; regularly advises senior management on regulatory compliance and legal matters;  and provides guidance on global compliance systems designs, implementation, and ongoing assessment. Prior to joining Halliburton, Mr. Almar was an associate at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, DC, where his practice focused on anti-corruption and international arbitration matters. He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Florida and his law degree from Duke University.

Robert Brown is Data Privacy and Compliance Counsel at Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., where he manages the company’s global data privacy program and advises on all matters related to data protection and regulatory compliance.  Robert is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).  Prior to joining Halliburton, Robert served as Legal Counsel at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.  He started his legal career as an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in New York, NY.  He received both his undergraduate degree and his law degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Doug Cohan is the Deputy Compliance Officer and Senior Assistant General Counsel at Hess Corporation where he manages all aspects of the company’s compliance program on a day-to-day basis including internal investigations, third party due diligence, compliance training and providing compliance advice and counselling in support of operations and business development activities.

Steven G. Gyeszly is Chief Compliance Counsel for Marathon Oil, an independent exploration and production company operating on four continents. In this role, he oversees the company’s Corporate Compliance & Ethics organization and partners with operations and other corporate functions to lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and enhancement of a pragmatic corporate compliance program. Prior to joining Marathon Oil, Steven was the Director of the Office of Global Compliance for a multi-national energy services company and was an Associate in the International Litigation & Arbitration Section at a global law firm.

BARBARA LINNEY is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Baker & Hostetler LLP, and co-leader of the firm’s International Trade Practice Team. She has been advising U.S. and foreign clients on international trade and business issues for more than 25 years, including on matters such as economic sanctions and export controls, defense security and foreign investment, and anti-corruption compliance.  Ms. Linney serves clients across a broad spectrum of industries, with particular focus on the defense, aerospace, oil and gas, maritime and medical device industries. Her practice involves representing clients before various federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Departments of Commerce (BIS), Defense (DSS), and State (DDTC), as well as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Ms. Linney serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches a course in economic sanctions and export controls.  She is a frequent speaker on international trade and business issues at national and international conferences. In addition, she is the author of numerous articles on international trade and business issues.  Ms. Linney is admitted to practice in Alberta, Canada, England & Wales, New York and Washington, D.C. and currently serves as a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law National Security Committee.  She is a member, Past President, and pro bono General Counsel of The Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and a recipient of the WIIT Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kartapurkh S. Khalsa is Senior Counsel & Director of Customs Compliance for National Oilwell Varco ("NOV"). He is responsible for the creation and implementation of policies related to NOV’s global customs compliance program. Mr. Khalsa has developed a wide-ranging customs compliance program, including the creation and implementation of policy controls regarding classification, valuation, use of special preference programs, and controls surrounding anti-dumping/countervailing duties. This program has helped NOV alleviate penalties and properly manage compliance related risks around the world.  Mr. Khalsa is NOV’s primary point of contact with U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) and oversees the company’s responses to CBP audits. He is also responsible for the review and approval of NOV communications with CBP, including all prior disclosures, responses to requests for information and notices of action. Mr. Khalsa’s team also manages all NOV responses to inquiries from non-U.S. Customs officials and provides on-site compliance training to NOV operations around the world. National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) is a leading provider of technology, equipment, and services to the global oil and gas industry that supports customers’ full-field drilling, completion, and production needs. Since 1862, NOV has pioneered innovations that improve the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of oil and gas operations. NOV powers the industry that powers the world.

David Rassin is Senior Counsel - International and Director of Ethics and Compliance at Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. in Houston, TX.  He works closely with the Company’s international operations and business development staff and directs Patterson-UTI’s Global Anticorruption Program.  Prior to joining Patterson-UTI, David held positions as an anticorruption and compliance attorney at KBR and at CB&I (now McDermott).  He started his legal career at a law firm in Houston, Texas practicing commercial law and litigation.  He is a graduate of Tulane Law School and the University of Calgary.  When not working, David can be found at home, cleaning up after his dogs.

Ryan Rabalais is the VP & Chief Compliance Officer of Rowan Companies, an international offshore drilling contractor. In this capacity he is responsible for the company’s Compliance program, principally dealing with anti-corruption efforts, internal investigations and ensuring sound international business practices. Ryan has spent his career working as a lawyer in the oilfield for publicly traded companies with international operations, primarily in roles of legal compliance and supporting operations. Before Rowan Companies, he was the Chief Compliance Officer of Paragon Offshore and prior to that he worked for Noble Drilling, BHP Billiton and Baker Hughes. As a lawyer, Ryan has primarily worked in Houston, TX but also held positions in Caracas, Venezuela and Perth, Australia. After serving four years in the US Marine Corps, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M and a law degree from the University of Houston.  

Whitney Eaton serves as the Corporate Compliance Director for TGS, a leading geosciences data company that serves energy companies worldwide.  As the Corporate Compliance Director, Mrs. Eaton is responsible for overseeing and implementing TGS’ Compliance Program, which includes anticorruption compliance, economic sanctions and trade controls, data protection, risk management, and corporate sustainability.  Prior to joining TGS, she served as anticorruption counsel at KBR in Houston, TX.  Mrs. Eaton started her legal career as an associate at Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C., defending corporations in government investigations.  She received her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and her B.A. from American University.

Olga Torres is the Founder and Managing Member of Torres Law, an International Trade and National Security Law Firm. Ms. Torres handles notable matters for numerous companies worldwide and specializes in the areas of U.S. customs, exports, economic sanctions, anti-corruption compliance, and industrial security matters. In the area of customs, Ms. Torres advises clients on import compliance matters, including customs rulings, classification, country of origin, special duty programs, focused assessments, C-TPAT, and seizures of goods by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. She also assists with antidumping/countervailing duty matters before the Import Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In the area of U.S. export control, Ms. Torres counsels clients on compliance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the various embargo and sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC). She regularly represents clients before the U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Due to her experience and qualifications, Ms. Torres has been selected for recognition in the 2017 and 2018 editions of Who’s Who Legal: Trade & Customs – a guide to the world’s leading trade and customs lawyers, economists and anti-dumping consultants. Chambers and Partners USA also listed Ms. Torres as a Recognized Practitioner in the areas of International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions law in 2017 and 2018. She has been rated for four consecutive years as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for Thompson Reuter’s “Super Lawyers” publication, a distinction given to less than 2.5 percent of attorneys. Ms. Torres was recently awarded the Global Attorney of the Year by the Dallas Global Chamber. As a recognized leader in trade and national security law, Ms. Torres was recently reappointed by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG). In this capacity, she advises the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is the U.S. Department of State’s principal link to the Department of Defense, on its regulation of defense trade in accordance with the Arms Export Control Act and its implementing regulations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Ms. Torres is a frequent speaker and moderator. She has lectured on international trade for organizations, universities and government agencies in different countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Mexico, Thailand, France, and Canada. She was previously an attorney in the International & Cross Border Transactions group at Holland & Knight LLP in Washington, D.C. Ms. Torres is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C., the State of Texas, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Court of International Trade.

In her current role as Director of Trade Compliance, Melissa leads a global team of lawyers and compliance professionals responsible for daily import, export, trade sanctions and boycott compliance for Weatherford’s global operations in 80+ countries. Her Trade Compliance Team was honored as Highly Commended Export Controls Team by World ECR in 2017.  Weatherford’s Corporate Compliance Group was named as Texas Lawyer’s Corporate Compliance winner for 2017. Previous to this, Melissa worked as the Director of Logistics and Trade Compliance, Global Supply Chain where she led the strategic and center-led logistics group of global supply chain, negotiated and managed the global and regional transportation service contracts needed to support Weatherford’s oilfield services business.