Johny has advised domestic and international companies about U.S. government contracting requirements, and has extensive experience litigating commercial and personal injury matters in federal and state courts. Johny has designed and implemented compliance programs, conducted audits and investigations, and developed and deployed training for some of the world’s largest and most complex publicly traded companies. Johny has lived, worked, and traveled abroad throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Before founding The Chaklader Firm P.C., Johny lead the Export Controls and International Trade Practice, and served as a Director in the Government Contracts Practice at BDO USA, LLP – one of the world’s largest accounting and consulting firms. Prior to his tenure at BDO USA, Johny served as Corporate Counsel at Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC), one of the world’s largest defense companies, where Johny advised on International Trade matters for 2 of NGC’s then 3 divisions. Prior to his role at NGC, Johny served as Seconded Assistant General Counsel at a Cybersecurity focused Federal Government Agency of the U.A.E. Johny worked with business and legal teams to develop international trade compliance and cross-border investments and transactions strategy for Fortune 100 companies and their subsidiaries operating in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and the Middle East. Johny also served Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP, one of the world’s largest and most reputable law firms, where Johny lead International Trade related risk assessments and investigations, managed commercial and personal injury litigation matters, and advised on immigration matters. Johny has considerable experience managing cross-border regulatory issues for transactions, activities and assets in the U.A.E., Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Oman, where he helped clients mitigate risk in connection with sanctions, national security, cybersecurity, anti-corruption and export controls laws. Johny has experience leading negotiations, as well as drafting and closing over 80 billion USD of global defense deals. He has helped legal and business teams fulfill their mandates to verify supply chain integrity, corporate governance requirements and procurement compliance for government contracts involving military and dual use items. Johny has managed international investigations for financial firms, aerospace/defense, biotechnology, shipping and logistics and online retailer companies on issues arising under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, import requirements (including those administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Census Bureau, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), U.K. Bribery Act, anti-money laundering laws, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Johny has extensive experience drafting U.S. Treasury, Commerce, and State Department license applications and disclosures; analyzing calculations for negotiated settlements with government agencies; drafting compliance policies/procedures; and advising on strategic business development opportunities with foreign governments and private sector participants. Johny has completed focused assessments, audits and investigations for global logistics and freight management companies. Johny’s reviews covered hundreds of thousands of import, export, transshipment and warehousing related transactions involving sites in France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Hungary, Malaysia and the U.A.E. and compliance with U.S. sanctions laws against Iran, Cuba and Syria. Johny has developed OFAC voluntary-self disclosure and penalty mitigation analyses and drafted OFAC and U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) filings for publicly traded firms.

Johny has developed targeted corrective actions for firms with multiple global business units; conducted comprehensive sanctions due-diligence reviews for corporate bond issuances and coordinated compliance reviews of automotive and manufacturing industries on international trade, export controls, sanctions, customs matters, anti-bribery and foreign boycotts matters. Additionally, Johny has developed ITAR, EAR, OFAC, CBP, FWS, FDA and OFAC sanctions compliance programs for major manufacturers, distributors and retailers; managed responses to criminal subpoenas and asset forfeiture actions; investigated import transactions related to seized assets; drafted prior disclosures for CBP and voluntary-self disclosures, drafted FWS Petitions for Remissions for seized imports; advised on business process enhancements to integrate automated restricted party screening solutions and implemented approved supplier program. Johny has advised academic institutions, as well as medical, health, and environmental research firms on human subjects and animal research protections, scientific integrity/misconduct investigations, grants administration matters, corporate/transactional matters (501c3 lobbying rules; review/ drafting of contracts); telecom issues (defense in FCC enforcement actions), FDA regulatory compliance (review/drafting of opinion letters), pesticide, chemical substance, hazardous material and fuel industries on U.S. environmental laws and regulations including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and associated regulations. In addition, Johny drafted, reviewed and negotiated commercial contracts; implemented procedures affecting general corporate governance, and conducted due diligence reviews relevant to securities laws compliance and M&A activity (including divestitures, corporate reorganizations, joint ventures and transaction financing).

Education

M.A., Harvard University - International Trade and Sustainable Development

J.D./M.B.A., Howard University - Law / Corporate Finance

M.S., Univ. of New Mexico - Earth & Planetary Sciences, Analytical Geochemistry

B.A., Colgate University - Geology