Meredith A. Rathbone

Associate

• mrathbone@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20036
TEL: 202.429.6437
FAX: 202.429.3902

Meredith Rathbone is an attorney in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she is a member of the International Department.

International Trade 
Export Controls and Economic Sanctions  Ms. Rathbone counsels clients on achieving their business goals while ensuring compliance with US export control and sanctions laws administered by the Departments of Treasury, State, and Commerce. She has assisted clients in the manufacturing, banking, insurance, retail, and service industries, among others, in navigating Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations, including regulations relating to specific countries as well as specially designated individuals and companies. Her experience in this area extends to assisting clients in resolving politically sensitive matters under the joint administration of various government agencies. Ms. Rathbone has assisted clients in conducting internal investigations, preparing and filing voluntary disclosures, drafting agreements that allow companies to provide non-US citizen employees with access to controlled technical information, and obtaining and complying with government licenses for the manufacture and production of technical products outside of the United States. In addition, Ms. Rathbone has provided counsel on the money laundering and extraterritorial jurisdiction aspects of the USA Patriot Act and regularly monitors and advises clients on legislative and regulatory changes to US export control and economic sanctions laws.

Customs Compliance  Ms. Rathbone’s experience in the Customs compliance area includes assisting clients in responding to NAFTA verifications, as well as advising clients on tariff classifications. She provides counsel to companies on making country-of-origin assessments and on compliance with both Customs and Federal Trade Commission country-of-origin marking regulations. Ms. Rathbone has advised clients on preparing voluntary disclosures of potential Customs violations, and assisted them in developing long-term Customs compliance strategies.

Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Litigation  Ms. Rathbone has assisted clients in litigating antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings before the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission. As part of a team of Steptoe attorneys, she assisted a client in overturning a US Department of Commerce antidumping duty order before a bi-national NAFTA appeals panel. She has also provided advice to clients on developing proactive strategies to avoid or escape liability under international and domestic trade remedy laws.   

Public International Law
Ms. Rathbone 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. She is a published author in the field of foreign and international human rights law as it relates to employment discrimination and sexual harassment. Ms. Rathbone has also written on the prosecution of war crimes in international tribunals.   

International Government Procurement
Ms. Rathbone has assisted companies in achieving their business goals by advising them on the eligibility of their multinationally designed and manufactured technology products for US military and civilian government procurement under the Buy American Act and the Trade Agreements Act. She has also counseled clients on compliance with regulations relating to foreign government procurement. 

Education
Ms. Rathbone has lived and studied in Finland, Russia, and Italy throughout the course of her educational career. She was an undergraduate major in International Relations, Law, and Organization at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Ms. Rathbone is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, teaching courses to both law students and undergraduates, and currently serves as an Executive Board Member of the Georgetown University Law Center Recent Alumni Advisory Committee.

Publications

• Proceed With Caution! Companies Must Understand And Heed Enhanced Export Compliance Requirements In Dealings With China
  July 2007, International Government Contractor
• International Law Advisory - BIS Issues Proposed Rule Expanding Entity List Licensing Authorization
  June 11, 2007
• International Law Advisory - DDTC Publishes Debarment Order Against ITT Corporation
  April 13, 2007
• Customs Law Advisory - US Customs Issues Guidance on Foreign-Origin Components Assembled in the United States for Government Procurement
  March 16, 2007
• International Law Advisory - DDTC Eases Restrictions on Libya and Adds Venezuela to the List of Proscribed Destinations
  February 7, 2007
• Fundamental Research: An Oft-Misunderstood Exemption to Export Control Rules
  January 2007, International Government Contractor Vol 4 No 1
• International Law Advisory - BIS Issues Revisions to Export/Anti-Boycott Penalties
  August 7, 2006
• International Law Advisory - Belarusian Sanctions Expected; Iran and Sudan Sanctions Legislation Moves Forward In US House
  March 27, 2006

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