SECTOR № 01
The legal architecture of defense industrial capacity.
We advise on the regulated infrastructure behind Western defense production — from commercial-to-defense conversion to autonomous systems licensing.
SIGNATURE QUESTIONS
- How do we structure commercial-to-defense production conversion under ITAR and EAR?
- What MLA and TAA framework supports our European production expansion?
- How does our autonomous systems program navigate dual-use classification and export restrictions?
OVERVIEW
Defense production is a regulatory discipline before it is a manufacturing one.
The gap between Western defense design capability and Western defense production capacity is the defining strategic question of the decade. Closing it requires converting commercial industrial capacity to defense output, scaling autonomous systems from prototype to volume, and building the regulatory architecture that makes both possible across allied jurisdictions.
Our practice works at the operational intersection of production and controls. ITAR licensing, EAR classification, Manufacturing Licence Agreements, Technical Assistance Agreements, offset structuring, FCPA compliance, End-Use Monitoring programs — these are not referral topics for us. They are the daily working vocabulary of the partners who lead this practice, drawing on operational experience at Glock, CheyTac, and greenfield defense manufacturing in post-conflict jurisdictions.
We advise manufacturers scaling defense-relevant output, prime contractors managing supply-chain controls, technology companies navigating dual-use classification, and investors financing defense-industrial capacity. Our integrated approach combines U.S., EU, Polish, and Ukrainian regulatory practice in a single team — which is the only structure under which cross-jurisdictional defense transactions actually close.
CAPABILITIES
How we work across this sector.
ITAR Licensing & Classification
DSP-5, DSP-73, DSP-85, and Commodity Jurisdiction requests. Classification advice under the U.S. Munitions List. Registration, reporting, and end-use documentation.
EAR & Dual-Use Classification
Classification under the Commerce Control List. BIS license applications. Deemed export analysis. License exception qualification.
MLA and TAA Structuring
Manufacturing Licence Agreements and Technical Assistance Agreements between U.S. principals and European production partners. Royalty structures, technology-transfer controls, audit rights.
Commercial-to-Defense Conversion
Structures for commercial manufacturers entering defense production. Facility security, personnel vetting, supply-chain compliance, and the legal architecture of dual-track production.
Offset Agreement Negotiation
Industrial participation and offset commitments under Polish, Ukrainian, and other CEE procurement frameworks. Direct and indirect offset structuring. Value crediting and obligation discharge.
Autonomous Systems & Dual-Use AI
Export-control classification for autonomous platforms and AI systems. EU AI Act compliance for defense-adjacent applications. Dual-use assessment of ML training data and model weights.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
A selection of recent work.
Commercial-to-defense conversion for a Polish metallurgical manufacturer
Advisory on entry into precision-munitions component production. Structured DDTC-compliant licensing, U.S. prime-contractor partnership, and offset qualification under the Polish procurement framework.
MLA negotiation between a U.S. small-arms manufacturer and a Ukrainian production partner
Cross-border controls framework, end-user monitoring program, and SSEC licensing. Parallel DDTC and Ukrainian authority clearances coordinated in a single workstream.
ITAR compliance restructuring for a German sensor manufacturer
Following U.S. prime integration. Classification review, license portfolio rebuild, deemed-export protocols, and operational training of in-house regulatory personnel.
Offset agreement structuring on a high-value platform procurement
Direct and indirect offset work, supplier qualification, and value-crediting methodology. Coordinated Polish MoD negotiations and long-term obligation-discharge roadmap.
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