Meredith Rathbone

Partner at Steptoe

Speaker

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.