Laura Louca specializes in European and German foreign trade law. In addition to export control and sanctions law, her advisory focus is on customs law.
Laura regularly advises clients on export control law issues and infringements, in particular on the export of goods and technology under the Dual-Use Regulation, the German Export and War Weapons List, as well as on EU sanctions law. She represents German and international clients both vis-à-vis the European Commission and the Customs Administration, the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), federal ministries as well as before administrative and fiscal courts.
Additionally, she advises international companies in German foreign investment control proceedings in connection with cross-border M&A transactions. Furthermore, Laura focuses on reporting obligations to the German Bundesbank. She works closely with the firm’s US partners on the application of US primary and secondary sanctions to non-US clients’ operations. She also advises clients on trade compliance programs relating to sanctions and export control laws. She has significant experience in accompanying internal and external investigations and self-disclosures in cases of breaches of foreign trade law, closely collaborating with the competent authorities if necessary.
Additionally, Laura advises clients on all aspects of public procurement law.
Laura is named as a "Rising Star" in international trade law by The Legal 500 and is also listed in WorldECR’s Directory of Experts as a specialist for export control and sanctions compliance.
Languages: German, English, Greek
References
Representing the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in a preliminary injunction procedure of Taiwan chip supplier GlobalWafers on its Siltronic takeover before the Administrative Court of Berlin and the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg
Advising various international companies in the context of investigations for alleged violations of German or European export control and customs law
Handling German foreign direct investment procedure for European private equity firm IK Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in CONET Group from H.I.G. Capital
Advising US company Adtran regarding foreign direct investment aspects on the acquisition of Adva Optical
Legal advice and representation of GTCR in two German FDI matters regarding the M&A acquisition in complex transactions in the healthcare sector
German foreign direct investment advice for CRRC, involving the acquisition of Vossloh Locomotives
Advice to and representation of Infineon AG regarding international trade law issues
Representing First Sensor in an FDI application concerning the acquisition of its shares by TE Connectivity, including the negotiations with the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Advising BMW on customs related issues
CV
Laura studied law at the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena and the Indiana University in the USA with a focus on Anglo-American and International Law. She holds a doctor of laws degree from the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena and wrote her doctoral thesis on the international arms trade and the control of dual-use-goods. During her studies she worked at an international law firm for several years as a research assistant. She completed her legal traineeship ("Referendariat") at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin with placements at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and at a law firm in New Zealand.
Publications
Chapter on the European Union sanctions regime, Lexology Panoramic (formerly GTDT): Sanctions, since 2021 (with Roland Stein)
Circumvention, spare parts and sanctions: A perspective from Germany, WorldECR – The Journal of Export Controls and Sanctions, Issue 131, July/August 2024, pp. 20-22 (with Tobias Ackermann)
Error in AWR – Strafbestimmungen und ihre Irrtumskonstellationen in außenwirtschaftsrechtlichen Sachverhalten, WiJ (Journal der Wirtschaftsstrafrechtlichen Vereinigung e.V.), 02/2024, p. 66 (with Michael Gründer)
„Immer wachsam!“ – Das Zollrecht und die Russland-Sanktionen, AW-Prax 11-12/2023, p. 553 (with Leonard von Rummel)
Ersatzteile und Technologie in den Russland-Sanktionen, AW-Prax 10/2023, p. 522 (with Tobias Ackermann)
Software im Visier der Exportkontrolle – eine außenwirtschaftsrechtliche Black Box, AW-Prax 1/2023, p. 23 (with Christopher Wolters)
Das Gesundheitswesen im Fokus der Investitionskontrolle, MedR 12/2020, pp. 1003-1007 (with Alexander Kopf)
Self-disclosure in Germany's foreign trade law - a review of the status quo, WorldECR – The Journal of Export Controls and Sanctions, Issue # 90, June 2020, p. 20 (with Florian Wolf)
Germany: high barriers to export admidst geopolitical uncertainty, WorldECR - The Journal of Export Controls and Sanctions, Issue # 88, April 2020, p. 29 (with Roland Stein)
Keine Ablehnungs-AGB, AW-Prax 02/2020 (with Roland Stein)
Germany: Corporate criminal liability on the trade compliance horizon, WorldECR - The Journal of Export Controls and Sanctions, Issue # 85, December 2019 (with Roland Stein)
Uncertainty in foreign trade and criminal legislation, WorldECR - The Journal of Export Controls and Sanctions, Issue # 84, November 2019, p. 32 (with Roland Stein)
Unbestimmtheit schützt vor Strafe doch, AW-Prax 11/2019 (with Roland Stein)
Quo vadis EU? – Bericht über den 31. Europäischen Zollrechtstag, ZfZ 8/2019, p. 266
Presentations
Lecturer at the Hamburger Zollakademie ‘Zollfachkraft’ (‘Customs Specialist’) course on ‘Export Control Law’ and ‘Customs Dept’ (since spring 2020)
EU ‘toughens up’: EU sanctions in MS law, WorldECR Sanctions Practitioners Forum, Brussels, 15 May 2023 (with Carolina Dackö and Gerard Kreijen)
Sustainability & supply chains, AIJA Half-Year November Conference “Environment, Climate and Sustainability: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks”, Edingburgh, 17 November 2022 (with Marie Davy, Jose Luis Vega, Michael Cuthbertson, Bartosz Kuraś)
Wake Up-Call: Exportkontrolle bei Entwicklung und Nutzung von Software über die Cloud, DWT event on Multi-Domain-Operations – Enabler Combat Cloud and Edge Computing, Bonn, 3 November 2022
Frieden schaffen ohne Waffen? Überblick über die aktuellen EU-Sanktionspakete, LINDENPARTNERS LAWLAB Webinar on the legal consequences of Ukraine war and Russia sanctions as well as their impact on the German economy, Berlin, 14 July 2022
Export control of drones, AIJA Half-Year May Conference “The Future of Mobility - Navigating a Revolution”, Gothenburg, 19 May 2022
Sanctions Screening, an important topic takes on even greater Urgency!, Podcast with Kate Pohl from the series TIS: The Word On The Street, 2 May 2022
Die Russland-Sanktionen im Fokus – Was müssen WirtschaftsteilnehmerInnen beachten?, Criminal Compliance Podcast with Dr. Christian Rosinus, 4 March 2022
Germany’s export controls: what you need to know, Webinar World ECR, 24 September 2020 (with Florian Wolf)
Internationaler Technologietransfer und seine rechtlichen Herausforderungen, DWT conference ‘Angewandte Forschung für Verteidigung und Sicherheit in Deutschland’, Bonn, 5 March 2020
Sanctions Screening, TIS Experts Evening, Munich, 11 February 2020
Very experienced, very good specialist knowledge.