Representative Global Government Affairs/Regulatory Matters

International Trade

  • Venable is providing the full range of import and export trade advice and representation for Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc., a major global petroleum company, and several of its affiliated entities, before numerous U.S. agencies. We recently performed a strategic review of U.S. export control and economic sanctions obligations to obtain various authorizations and licenses for its expanding activities, including obtaining an OFAC license within one day of the imposition of the recent Syrian sanctions, thereby avoiding any slowdown in its refinery operations. We also successfully represented the company, including its Foreign Trade Zone refinery operations, in an ISA audit before U.S. Customs and Border Protection and developed an enhanced internal compliance program. We regularly advise on trade policy initiatives that may impact the company's global operations
  • For Engineering Physics Software, Inc. (COADE), we are achieving a successful conclusion in two related settlements stemming from charges of unauthorized re-exports of U.S.-origin software to sanctioned countries and contrary to U.S. export control regulations. We're also providing advice and guidance to enhance export compliance by the company's export and re-export activities, and by its arrangements with overseas foreign agents
  • Venable has counseled and formulated strategies for trade and transportation data companies with security issues before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), World Customs Organization (WCO), and H.M. Revenue and Customs (UK)
  • We provide advice to a manufacturer of military training simulators with regard to foreign military sales to countries such as Israel and India, including agreements with local agents/representatives that are compliant with U.S. and host country laws
  • We advise U.S. and foreign logistics companies on the new People's Republic of China maritime law and regulations
  • Venable helped a client obtain the first licenses for commercial shipping between the United States and Cuba

Regulatory Compliance

  • We advise ING Direct on U.S. banking laws, employment laws, contract laws, and issues arising from its relationship with its Netherlands-based bank holding company
  • We provide FDA regulatory advice and are prosecuting the worldwide patent rights for Thermotex
  • We directed a worldwide regulatory compliance effort for an international manufacturing company. This included high-level corporate governance issues, international document discovery and review, preparing and training to internal compliance standards covering scores of EU and U.S. laws and regulations, advising on congressional and government inquiries concerning the operations of the company, and planning for potential securities and products liability litigation

Government Affairs

  • Venable represents U.S. and international service providers and users in communications transactions and regulatory matters throughout the United States and overseas. We have also helped overseas governments and regulatory bodies create laws and regulations to promote investments in their communications sectors
  • We advise a U.S. company performing USAID contracts to develop local businesses in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, on compliance with laws and regulations governing the conduct of U.S. companies working with foreign entities and individuals in areas where various terrorist groups are active

Government Contracts

  • We represent a major global travel management services company in several bid protests before the GAO and U.S. Court of Federal Claims on government contracts. Additionally, we have represented the company on issues arising out of its travel management contracts for the U.S. State Department and Department of Defense in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
  • We advise a leading German optical company in its pursuit and performance of U.S. government contracts

Political Law

  • Venable provided counsel and created the legal structure to facilitate the creation of a U.S. political action committee (PAC) by a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign corporation to ensure compliance with U.S. election laws
  • We counseled the U.S. subsidiary of a foreign company with PAC and lobbying disclosures, assisting the company in understanding U.S. lobbying and campaign finance rules
  • Venable counseled a U.S. subsidiary of an international automotive company about U.S. lobbying disclosure rules and helped to simplify its reporting operations
  • Venable counseled an international energy company headquartered overseas on federal, state, and local lobbying, campaign finance, and gift rules compliance

Antitrust

  • Venable successfully represented a foreign executive in a DOJ investigation of alleged price fixing in the thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal-display industry
  • Venable's antitrust attorneys successfully defended a multinational pharmaceutical company in a complex FTC investigation of alleged antitrust violations related to settlement of patent litigation involving branded and generic pharmaceuticals

Advertising/Marketing

  • We have litigated dozens of Lanham Act advertising cases, representing internationally esteemed clients seeking to protect their brand assets and defending clients in high-profile litigation involving cutting-edge issues of law

Government Investigations

  • We represented the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the French Republic in an investigation of a state-owned financial institution
  • Our attorneys successfully represented a foreign executive in a DOJ investigation of alleged price fixing in the air cargo industry

Energy

  • Venable has extensive experience with international oil and gas projects, including writing energy laws for an African nation and handling arbitrations over oil- and gas-related disputes. We have worked on energy projects with private institutions, and with such institutions as the World Bank Group and International Finance Corporation. These projects have been sited in Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iraq, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Russia