Judith A. Lee is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, practicing in the areas of international trade regulation, including USA Patriot Act compliance, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, economic sanctions and embargoes, export controls, customs, international privacy issues, international intellectual property issues and international labor issues.
Ms. Lee was selected by Chambers and Partners as a Leading International Trade Lawyer in its 2007 and 2008 Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business Guide and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America guide for both 2006 and 2007. She was named in 2006 by Washington Business Journal as one of the Best Lawyers in the Washington, D.C. area for International Trade and Finance Law and was selected as one of Washington's Best Lawyers for International Trade by Washingtonian magazine in 2004. Ms. Lee is also included in Euromoney's 2007 Guide to the World's Leading International Trade Lawyers, U.S. Section.
Ms. Lee is the past Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Committee on Export Controls and Embargoes, and was a past chair of the American Bar Association Customs Law Committee. She was appointed by the Chief Judge of the Court of International Trade to that court's Rules Advisory Committee and Jurisdiction Committee. She is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Customs and International Trade Bar Association.
In 1992, Ms. Lee was licensed by the Department of the Treasury as a customshouse broker, having received the highest score in the country on the customshouse broker's examination that year, administered by the United States Customs Service.
Ms. Lee is a member of the Bars of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mrs. Lee received her law degree in 1987 from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary and her Bachelor of Arts in 1984 from Mount Holyoke College, where she studied Chinese and politics. In 1983 and 1984, she attended Donghai University in Taiwan, where she studied Chinese language, culture and politics. Ms. Lee is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She is a member of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher's Diversity Committee.
Publications
Lee, Judith, West, Joseph D., Brennan, Christyne, Wharwood, Dave M., and Speice, Patrick F., "National Security Implications of Foreign Investment in U.S. Government Contractors," Briefing Papers Second Series, West Group - Thomson West, 2007
Lee, Judith A. and Plaine, Daniel J., "Making Way For International Business Integrity And Compliance Due Diligence In Cross-Border Acquisitions," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, May 2007
Lee, Judith A. and Slear, James D., "Beware of OFAC: A little-known agency poses challenges to international finance," International Financial Law Review, September 2006
Lee, Judith A. and Slear, James D., "Special problems concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the People's Republic of China," IBA Legal Practice Division, Litigation Committee Newsletter, September 2006
Lee, Judith A. and Slear, James D., "Doing Business in China: Unique Corruption Compliance Concerns and Strategies," Washington Legal Foundation, Contemporary Legal Note Series, Number 51, August 2006
Lee, Judith A., West, Joseph D., and Monahan, Jason A., "U.S. Export Control Compliance Requirements for Government Contractors," Briefing Papers, Thomson-West, November 2005
Lee, Judith A., "Exclusion of Infringing Products from Importation and Other International Trade Remedies," Intellectual Property Law - Damages and Remedies, 2004
Lee, Judith A., "Dealing with Islam," Legal Times, commentary, May 26, 2003
Lee, Judith A. and Healy, Nicole, "Patriot Act and Gatekeeper Update," American Bar Association Section of International Law Year-in-Review, February 2003
Lee, Judith A., "Liberalizing Trade in Services Critical to U.S. Economy," Washington Legal Foundation, Legal Backgrounder, October 18, 2002
Lee, Judith A., "A Guide Through the Government's Maze," Legal Times, August 5, 2002
Lee, Judith A., "Strict EU Data Privacy Standards Limit Use of Corporate Intranets," Legal Times, May 15, 2000
Lee, Judith A., "Conflict Over Cuba," Legal Times, September 9, 1996
Lee, Judith A. and Harrison, Donald, "Major Changes to the United States Antidumping Law and Practice Under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act," The National Law Journal, February 1995
Speaking Engagements
Women in Regulatory Law (WIRL) Symposium on "Challenges in International Security," panel moderator for "The Role of Economic Sanctions in International Security," in Washington, D.C. at the Museum of Women in the Arts, June 18, 2008
American Conference Institute's "OFAC Enforcement and Compliance National Forum," panel on "Facilitation: What Is It, and How to Minimize Risks," in Washington, D.C., June 17, 2008
American Conference Institute's 3rd National Forum on Export Enforcement & Investigations, "M&A Due Diligence: Reducing the Risk of Successor Liability," January 31, 2008
Ethisphere webcast on "Exporting Technology and High-Tech: Your Responsibilities Under U.S. Export Control Laws," October 9, 2007
Aviation Week's "Defense Suppliers' Forum," Export Controls panel, on Commodity Jurisdiction issues, June 4, 2007
American Conference Institute's 10th National Forum on Export Controls, "Foreign Nationals: Managing U.S. Restrictions on Dual Nationals and Complying with EU Privacy Laws," May 16, 2007
Women in International Regulatory Law Symposium's "International Regulatory Law as a Positive Force for Change," Post-Symposium Panel on "Revolving Doors: Charting an Ethical Career Path in International Law," April 25, 2007
Strafford Publications, Inc.'s seminar (teleconference) on "Foreign Asset Control Compliance in Domestic and International Transactions: Avoiding Penalties Absent Clear Government Guidance," April 17, 2007
Strafford Publications, Inc.'s seminar (teleconference) on "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Staying Out of the Government's Crosshairs," January 25, 2007
Executive Enterprise Institute (EEI) and Credit Union Times (CUT) conference on "Complying with the Bank Secrecy Act/USA Patriot Act" on topic OFAC Update 2006, December 14, 2006
Strafford Publications, Inc.'s seminar (teleconference) on "Assuring Foreign Assets Control Compliance in Domestic and International Transactions," September 13, 2006
Channel One Russian TV interview on sanctions, August 2006
Strafford Publications, Inc.'s seminar (teleconference) on "Assuring Foreign Assets Control Compliance in Domestic and International Transactions," June 7, 2006
NACM (National Association of Credit Management), seminar (teleconference) on sanctions issues, February 9, 2004
California Minority Counsel Program Roundtable on USA Patriot Act, November 20, 2003
Lou Dobbs' "Money Line" Special Report commentary on U.S.'s Intellectual Property Giveaway, September 30, 2003
AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions), in Bahrain on topic of Money Laundering and Its Prevention, March 3, 2003
"The Legal Perspective," biweekly programming for LawCorps.com on OFAC/SDN issues, October 2002
CNBC's "Squawk Box," March 27, 2002
CNN's "The Money Gang" program interview on patent law and Cipro, October 22, 2001
Law.com, "Practicing Law in a Global Economy," September 18, 2001
"Current United States Customs Developments" address to Canadian Bar Association, May 4, 2001
CNN's "Burden of Proof" program, interview on China's detention of Gao Zhan as a spy, April 5, 2001
CNN's "News Site" program, discussing U.S./China relations, April 3, 2001
"Customs for Non-Customs Practitioners" address to the Tax Executive Institute's 51st Midyear Conference, April 1, 2001
"What Every Lawyer Should Know About Customs and Customs Law," D.C. Bar, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001
"Free Trade and the Future," address at the First Nations NAFTA International Summit, Calgary, October 1998
"Status of Mod Act Regulatory Initiatives," Address before the American Association of Exporters and Importers 76th Annual International Trade Convention, June 1997
"Section 337" address (in Chinese), SETC Delegation from the People's Republic of China, Washington, D.C., September 1995
"International Marketing," address to the National Indian Business Association, International Business Conference, Washington, D.C., June 1994
"International Business," address to the National Indian Business Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 1994
"United States Export Controls" address (in Chinese) to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, September 1993
"Trade Laws Affecting United States - China Trade" address (in Chinese), Shenzhen Business and Government Delegation, Washington, D.C., November 1992