Sandra Orihuela, Esq.

Sandra Orihuela is the founder of Orihuela Abogados | Attorneys at Law, an international legal boutique specializing in corporate transactions, OFAC and sanctions compliance, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and corporate governance. As a dual-licensed attorney in the United States (Colorado) and Peru, Ms. Orihuela actively manages legal and compliance work for the firm, representing U.S., European, Canadian, Latin American, and Japanese entities across a diverse range of industries, including life sciences, technology, media and communications, sports, entertainment, construction, oil and gas, mining, engineering, agriculture, consumer products, and retail businesses.

Ms. Orihuela brings a uniquely integrated perspective to her practice: prior to founding the firm, she worked at top-tier U.S. law firms and served in senior in-house and secondment roles with multinational corporations — including serving effectively as general counsel or chief legal and compliance officer for complex cross-border businesses. This executive-level experience informs her ability to provide management teams and boards with strategic, business-oriented legal counsel, not merely technical legal advice.

Her corporate international expertise includes structuring and implementing complex cross-border acquisitions, reorganizations and restructurings; navigating international tax, labor, customs, environmental and foreign investment protection issues; and advising on multi-country regulatory matters, international arbitration, and dispute resolution.

Ms. Orihuela is a recognized authority on OFAC compliance, U.S. sanctions programs, anti-money laundering (AML), and anti-bribery law. She counsels financial institutions, multinational companies, venture capital and private equity funds, and technology companies on sanctions risk assessments and program design, KYC and customer due diligence frameworks, FCPA and in-country anti-corruption compliance, and emerging enforcement developments in Latin America and global markets. She has directed internal and forensic investigations of significant scope, overseen Deferred Prosecution Agreement implementations in coordination with U.S. monitor teams, and has provided reporting directly to audit committees, boards of directors, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ms. Orihuela’s life sciences practice encompasses legal and compliance oversight of optical, medical device, and digital precision technology companies across international markets. Her media and entertainment expertise includes structuring the design, production, distribution, and international commercialization of audiovisual content and sport and media rights worldwide.

She has extensive experience across all stages of complex mining projects with a strong international investment component — from the confidentiality agreement phase through exploration, environmental impact assessment, production, NSRs, streaming, construction, mine life extension, and resource expansion. Her multi-industry knowledge, deep legal and compliance expertise, and command of both civil and common law systems enable her to deliver efficient and dynamic solutions for clients’ ongoing corporate needs.

Serving in a role equivalent to in-house counsel or under a secondment arrangement for certain of the firm’s clients, Ms. Orihuela provides hands-on strategic planning, direction, and oversight of legal and compliance matters at the executive level.

Ms. Orihuela is a frequent writer and speaker at international legal and compliance forums, contributing perspectives on cross-border compliance, OFAC and sanctions enforcement trends, anti-corruption developments, and international corporate transactions. She has been recognized as a leading international lawyer by Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers™, and Who’s Who Legal.