Scott R. Toussaint

Scott Toussaint is a senior associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s International Trade Practice Group.  His practice focuses on compliance with U.S. laws governing international transactions, including economic sanctions, export controls, import restrictions, and foreign investment reviews.  Scott’s legal advice is informed by his experience on Capitol Hill and at a leading foreign policy think tank.

Scott helps clients navigate matters before the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and other regulatory and enforcement agencies.  He has deep experience counseling U.S. and foreign companies on compliance with OFAC sanctions; obtaining licenses and guidance; developing corporate compliance programs; conducting investigations into potential sanctions and export control violations; and assessing the national security implications of proposed mergers and acquisitions.  He represents clients across a wide range of industries, including energy, financial services, private equity, shipping, manufacturing, and technology.

Scott frequently writes and speaks on U.S. trade restrictions targeting commercially challenging jurisdictions such as Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria, China, and Russia.  He is a member of Law360’s International Trade Editorial Advisory Board.

Scott graduated from Stanford Law School, where he was an editor of the Stanford Law Review.  He earned a Master of Science in international relations from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Cornell University.  Prior to law school, Scott worked in Washington, D.C. for seven years as press secretary and foreign policy advisor for a member of Congress and as head of government affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

He is admitted to practice in the State of California and the District of Columbia.

Select Recent Speaking Engagements

• Guest Lecturer, “Sanctions Enforcement,” Georgetown University Law Center (April 8, 2025)
• Panelist, “Sanctions and Export Controls: Key Regulatory and Enforcement Trends,” Gibson Dunn Webcast (October 17, 2024)
• Panelist, “Introduction to U.S. Economic Sanctions,” Association of Corporate Counsel (September 5, 2024)
• Guest Lecturer, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About U.S. Sanctions,” U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Institute (August 14, 2023)
• Speaker, “Sanctions Masterclass: Central America,” Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (May 10, 2022)

Select Recent Publications

• What to Expect on Tariffs and Related Risks, Financier Worldwide (May 2025)
• International Trade 2024 Year-End Update, Gibson Dunn (February 6, 2025)
• 2023 Year-End Sanctions and Export Controls Update, Gibson Dunn (February 7, 2024)
• 2022 Year-End Sanctions and Export Controls Update, Gibson Dunn (February 7, 2023)
• 2021 Year-End Sanctions and Export Controls Update, Gibson Dunn (February 4, 2022)
• Biden Administration Imposes Additional Sanctions on Russia, Gibson Dunn (April 19, 2021)
• U.S. Export Controls: The Future of Disruptive Technologies, NATO Legal Gazette (October 2020)
• Understanding U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela, Financier Worldwide (April 2019)

Capabilities

• International Trade Advisory and Enforcement
• National Security
• Sanctions and Export Enforcement
• White Collar Defense and Investigations

Credentials

Education:

• Stanford University - 2016 Juris Doctor
• London School of Economics & Political Science - 2009 Master of Science
• Cornell University - 2005 Bachelor of Arts

Admissions:

• California Bar
• District of Columbia Bar