Overview
Meredith Rathbone counsels clients in numerous countries on achieving their business goals while ensuring compliance with US export controls and economic sanctions laws administered by the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury. Chambers Global sources call Meredith "an excellent legal adviser with in-depth knowledge of the economic and trade sanctions laws" and Chambers USA quotes clients' praise for Meredith as "a great legal mind" and "a very practical and pragmatic" lawyer.
Meredith has assisted clients across a range of industries in navigating the requirements of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and US sanctions laws and regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US Department of State. Her experience includes assisting clients in resolving politically sensitive matters under the joint administration of various government agencies.
Meredith has assisted clients in conducting numerous internal investigations, preparing and filing voluntary disclosures and subpoena responses, obtaining export and technology transfer authorizations, and undertaking product classification and jurisdiction assessments. Meredith regularly advises companies on navigating export controls and sanctions considerations in the context of mergers and acquisitions. She has represented individuals and companies facing civil and criminal investigations in this area, as well as clients seeking to be removed from OFAC's SDN list through the delisting process.
Meredith has also advised clients on compliance with United Nations sanctions and arms embargoes, and has defended them before UN sanctions panels. She has experience advising companies on the political and commercial effects of regime change and government succession as provided by international contracts law, customary international law, and the laws of war.
Additionally, Meredith has advised companies on the eligibility of their products and technology for US military and civilian government procurement under the Buy American Act, the Trade Agreements Act, and other domestic procurement laws.
Meredith heads Steptoe's International Trade and Regulatory Compliance group and is the co-chair of its Economic Sanctions and Export Controls practice. She serves on the firm's Executive Committee.
- District of Columbia
- Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales
- US Court of International Trade
- US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2002, cum laude
- B.S.F.S., Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, 1996
Areas of Work
Speaking Engagements
- "Stress Testing: Geopolitical Compliance Risks in 2024," UK Finance Spring Sanctions Conference, May 2, 2024
- "Behind the Scenes of Cross-Border Sanctions Enforcement and Penalties: Practitioners Discuss the Newest, Hardest Lessons for Mitigating Risk, Managing Investigations and New Areas Under Agencies' Microscope," C5's European Forum on Global Economic Sanctions, June 5, 2024
- "Navigating the Foreign Direct Product Maze," Coping with U.S. Export Controls and Sanctions 2023, Practicing Law Institute, Washington, DC, December 15, 2023
- "Key Trends in US Sanctions and Export Control Enforcement," Informa Global Sanctions Forum, London, UK, October 17, 2023
- "UFLPA Compliance and Your Broader International Trade Compliance Program," ACI’s 5th Conference on US-China Trade Controls, October 13, 2023
- "Navigations Divergence: a Compliance Masterclass," WorldECR Export Controls and Sanctions Forum, London, October 5, 2023
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"Supply Chains, Human Rights and Forced Labor," Practising Law Institute’s Coping with US Export Controls and Sanctions 2022 Conference, December 15, 2022
- "EAR anatomy – the Entity List under the microscope," WorldECR Virtual Forum, February 2022
- "International Sanctions on Myanmar," Lex Mundi webinar, March 23, 2021
- "Human Rights, Forced Labor and the Supply Chain. Time to Review Your ICP," Export Compliance Manager webinar, October 21, 2020
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"Beyond Corruption: Navigating Global Sanctions and Trade Controls," ABC Minds Energy & Extractives Conference 2020, Informa Virtual Conference, September 21, 2020
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"Real World Guidance for Addressing 'On the Ground' Complex Sanction Challenges," ACI's 13th Berlin Forum on Global Economic Sanctions, Berlin, Germany, May 23, 2019
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Panel Chair and Moderator, "Economic Sanctions, AML, Cybersecurity and the Convergence of Cross-Border and Compliance Risks," ABA Section of International Law Annual Conference, Washington, DC, April 12, 2019
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"What a Transactional Lawyer Needs to Know about US Economic and Trade Sanctions," Special Institute on International Mining and Oil & Gas Law, Development, and Investment, International Bar Association and Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 10, 2019
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"Current Export Control Landscape: Updates and Prospects," PLI's Coping with US Export Controls 2018 Conference, Washington, DC, December 13, 2018
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"Sanctions Forum: Keeping up with the Rapidly Changing Sanctions and Embargoes Scene," Global Trade Controls 2018 Conference, London, UK, September 2018
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"Trade Compliance: Sanctions and Export Control Strategies for In-House Counsel," 2018 ACC Europe Annual Conference, Paris, France, May 22, 2018
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"International Regulatory Compliance," General Counsel and Compliance Strategy Forum 2018, London, UK, March 20, 2018
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"The Evolving Role and Scope of the Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations," PLI's Coping with US Export Controls 2017 Conference, Washington, DC, December 14, 2017
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"Managing Sanction Risks," Association of Banks Singapore Financial Crime Seminar, Singapore, July 27, 2017
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"Iran: How to Minimize Pitfalls," ACI's Houston Forum on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Houston, TX, January 31, 2017
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"The Evolving Role and Scope of the Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations," PLI's Coping with US Export Controls 2016 Conference, Washington, DC, December 15, 2016
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"Navigating Sanctions in a Changing World," IBA 2016 Annual Conference, September 19, 2016
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"US Sanctions and US Efforts Targeting US Taxpayers with Offshore Bank Accounts," Association of Banks in Singapore, April 27, 2016
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"Open for Business? Cuba's Emerging Opportunities and Remaning Challenges," The Washington Foreign Law Society, March 23, 2016
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"Conducting Effective Internal Investigations," ACI's 6th Annual Forum on AML and OFAC Compliance for the Insurance Industry, January 21, 2016
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"The Evolving Role and Scope of the Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations," PLI's Coping with US Export Controls and Sanctions 2015 Conference, December 17, 2015
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"Encryption, the Cloud, and Protecting Export Controlled Technology," ABA Section of International Law, Washington, DC, June 29, 2015
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"US Restrictive Measures Applicable to Iran: Prohibitions and Opportunities Today and Tomorrow," Bär & Karrer's Iran After the Breakthrough, Geneva, Switzerland, May 27, 2015
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"International Regulatory Issues," Securities Industry Development Corporation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 17, 2015
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"De-Mystifying US Sanctions, Managing Risks in Providing International Financial Services," Securities Industry Development Corporation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 16, 2015
News & Publications
StepTechToe
New National Security Rules Targeting Personal Data to Have Significant Impact on AI Industry
March 14, 2024
Publications
Managing Foreign Direct Product Rule Compliance
Export Compliance Manager
February 2024
Publications
The Guide to Sanctions – Fourth Edition
Global Investigations Review
September 2023
By: Renato Antonini, Ali Burney, Eva Monard, Meredith Rathbone, Wendy Wysong, Byron Maniatis, Ryan Pereira, Elli Zachari
International Compliance Blog
Biden Administration Announces New Outbound Investment Regime Targeting China
August 11, 2023
By: Evan T. Abrams, Wilson Zhao, Ali Burney, Wendy Wysong, Jack R. Hayes, David M. Stetson, Brian J. Fleming, Bo Yue, Meredith Rathbone, Edward J. Krauland, Alexandra Baj
International Compliance Blog
Commerce Issues Final Rule Targeting Connected Software Applications
June 27, 2023
By: Meredith Rathbone, Edward J. Krauland, Evan T. Abrams, Jack R. Hayes, Ryan Pereira, Peter Jeydel
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 28 Practice Rankings, 34 Individual Awards in Legal 500 US 2023
June 14, 2023
Publications
International Guide to Export Controls and Economic Sanctions, Second Edition
June 2023
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 25 Practice, 72 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2023
June 1, 2023
International Compliance Blog
A Carrot and a Stick: BIS Clarifies Policy on Self-Disclosures and Whistleblowing
April 26, 2023
By: Ryan Pereira, Peter Jeydel, Brian J. Fleming, Wendy Wysong, Meredith Rathbone
Resources
Client Alerts
China's New Blocking Rules May Impact US Sanctions and Export Control Compliance Strategies for Many
February 10, 2021
By: Edward J. Krauland, Bo Yue
Client Alerts
Sanctions Under the Biden Administration: A Return to 'Smart?'
November 24, 2020
By: Edward J. Krauland, Meredith Rathbone, Wendy Wysong, Jack R. Hayes, Peter Jeydel, Evan T. Abrams, Martin Willner, Jordan Cannon (Law Clerk)
Client Alerts
White House Memorandum Sets Out Best Practices for Agency Enforcement Actions
October 9, 2020
By: Wendy Wysong, Edward J. Krauland, Ali Burney, Meredith Rathbone
Client Alerts
US and EU Actions to Address Supply Chain Threats Caused by Reliance on Critical Mineral Imports
October 8, 2020
By: Jeffrey G. Weiss, Meredith Rathbone, Peter Jeydel, Yongqing Bao
Client Alerts
New Orders Issued Barring Imports into the US from Certain Xinjiang-Related Entities
September 18, 2020
Client Alerts
US Weighs Further Xinjiang-Related Enforcement, Including Cotton Import Ban
September 9, 2020
By: Meredith Rathbone, Gregory S. McCue, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney
Client Alerts
Assessing the Impacts of Executive Order 13936 on Hong Kong's Status, One Month Later
August 25, 2020
By: Alexandra Baj, Ali Burney, Eric C. Emerson, Edward J. Krauland, Michelle L. Levin, Patrick F. Linehan, Meredith Rathbone, Wendy Wysong, Martin Willner, Jacob Nelson (International Trade Assistant)
Client Alerts
Due Diligence: Top 10 Benefits of Hiring Independent Compliance Counsel
August 4, 2020
By: Lucinda A. Low, Wendy Wysong, Meredith Rathbone, Ali Burney
Events
Webinars
Possible Sanctions Against Russia: What You Need to Know
February 9, 2022
Speakers: Meredith Rathbone, Edward J. Krauland, Alexandra Baj, Matthew Coleman, Alexandra Melia, Guy Soussan, David M. Stetson
Webinars
June 17, 2021
Speakers: Brigida Benitez, Matthew Coleman, Eric C. Emerson, Meredith Rathbone, Vyacheslav Khorovskiy
Webinars
EU Blocking Statute vs. US Sanctions - Business as Usual in Iran?
October 25, 2018
Speakers: Meredith Rathbone, Guy Soussan
Webinars
2015 Developments Regarding Economic Sanctions and Export Controls
December 15, 2015
Speakers: Alexandra Baj, Jack R. Hayes, Meredith Rathbone, Edward J. Krauland
Seminars & Events
Transatlantic Perspectives on the Iran Nuclear Deal and Sanctions Compliance
December 10, 2015
Speakers: Meredith Rathbone, Guy Soussan
The Parliament Room
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
Crown Office Row, London EC4Y 7HL
Noteworthy
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Who's Who Legal, Trade & Customs (2019, 2022-2023)
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Best Lawyers in America, International Trade and Finance Law (2022)
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Chambers Global, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, US (2018-2023)
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Chambers USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Nationwide (2018-2023)
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Chambers USA "Up and Coming," International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Nationwide (2017)
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WorldECR, Highly Commended as an Export Controls Practitioner (2016)
- The Legal 500 US, "Leading Lawyer," International Trade - Customs, Export Controls and Economic Sanctions
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The Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2016-2017, 2021-2022)
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The Legal 500 US, Litigation: International Trade (2012)
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Euromoney's Expert Guide to the World's Leading International Trade Lawyers (2015, 2018)
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Euromoney's Expert Guide to Women in Business Law (2013, 2018)
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Super Lawyers, Washington, DC, "Rising Star," International (2013)
Professional Affiliations
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Sanctions Subcommittee, Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy, US State Department
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Prior Co-chair, Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee, International Law Section, American Bar Association
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Advisory Past President, Washington Foreign Law Society