Meredith Rathbone

Practice Areas

Economic Sanctions

Export Controls

Independent & Internal Investigations

Anti-Corruption/FCPA

Customs

Financial Services

Financial Services Investigations & Enforcement

Anti-Boycott

Sanctions Against Russia: Implications for Business and International Trade

Monitorship

National Security & Cross-Border Transactions

Cryptography Regulations & Trade Controls

Career

Meredith Rathbone counsels clients in numerous countries on achieving their business goals and assessing geopolitical and legal risk while ensuring compliance with US export controls, economic sanctions, and other national security laws administered by the Departments of Commerce, State, Treasury and Homeland Security. 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. She has also advised clients on risk and compliance in newly-developing areas of national security laws and regulations, such as the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) rules and the regimes targeting the importation of goods made with forced labor. 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, conducting government-mandated audits, 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.

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 is the co-chair of Steptoe's Economic Sanctions and Export Controls practice. She has served on the firm's Executive Committee.

Professional Memberships

Prior Co-chair, Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee, International Law Section, American Bar Association

Advisory Past President, Washington Foreign Law Society