The law firm of Washington attorney Bob Amsterdam has been retained by the Venezuelan government to fight international sanctions weeks after Foley & Lardner dropped the country as a client under political pressure from Florida.

Amsterdam, founding partner of Amsterdam & Partners, which has offices in Washington and London, confirmed Tuesday that his firm has an “incredibly preliminary” retainer to represent Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s inspector general, Reinaldo Muñoz, and by extension the Maduro government.