Neha Dhindsa

Counsel
Dhindsa Neha

Neha Dhindsa’s practice focuses on international trade, customs, maritime, and transportation issues, including sanctions and export controls laws, U.S. import customs compliance, transportation laws and other regulations affecting cross-border transactions. Neha represents clients in compliance reviews, disclosures, investigations, and disputes, helping companies engaged in cross-border business navigate the complex regulatory landscape governing imports, exports, and international transactions and transportation. She provides practical, risk-based, business-friendly guidance that balances compliance with business priorities, formulating streamlined, easy-to-implement solutions to complex problems. Neha also helps organizations formulate and implement enterprise-wide solutions to address compliance risk, including compliance programs, policies, operating procedures, training, and audits.

Neha routinely represents clients before regulatory authorities and courts, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), various federal and state courts, and the International Court of Arbitration.

Prior to joining Venable, Neha worked as the lead regulatory analyst at Western Union Business Solutions, where she interfaced with state and federal regulators, internal and external auditors, various foreign affiliates, and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS). She graduated with honors from the George Washington University Law School and holds a bachelor of arts degree from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Sanctions and Export Controls

Neha has experience helping clients navigate complex sanctions and export controls regimes administered by OFAC and BIS. As these laws and regulations rapidly evolve based on U.S. priorities, administration priorities, and geopolitics, Neha helps clients stay up to date, remain compliant, address risk, and manage day-to-day operational issues. This includes reviewing and providing guidance regarding active operational and transactional sanctions and export controls issues, and addressing systemic compliance issues through comprehensive policies, procedures, and training. Neha routinely represents clients before OFAC, BIS, DOJ, and the U.S. Census Bureau in relation to subpoenas, inquiries, self-disclosures, and licenses.

Customs Compliance and General Trade Compliance

Neha routinely assists clients with U.S. customs compliance issues, including Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classifications, imports under U.S. trade agreements, Section 301 and 232 tariff and customs duties issues, CBP information requests, internal reviews, self-disclosures, penalty mitigation negotiations and petitions, and formulating tailored customs compliance policies and providing training. Neha also advises clients looking to design efficient and profitable supply chains while remaining compliant, including addressing supply chain shifts, forced labor concerns, intercompany valuations, and a host of other issues that arise in today’s complex global supply chains. She also has considerable experience assisting clients with formulating and implementing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) programs and conducting FCPA due diligence.

Transactional Due Diligence

Neha has led trade compliance due diligence for numerous cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and routinely advises clients on compliance risk, formulates mitigation efforts, coordinates required U.S. and international regulatory filings, works on purchase agreements and due diligence reports, and interfaces with underwriters and buyer/seller counsel on her clients’ behalf.

Transportation and Logistics

Neha assists international transportation and logistics companies and technology companies operating in the logistics space with contract reviews, operational issues, agreements, FMC compliance, international expansions, regulatory audits, limited antitrust issues, and government outreach.

Nonprofit Organizations

Neha represents multiple international nonprofit organizations, including foundations, performing arts institutions, charities, trade associations, professional societies, advocacy groups, and other entities, with their operations in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. She advises on U.S. laws affecting their international activities and works closely with local counsel to address on-the-ground regulatory issues, including compliance with complex local laws governing nonprofits, such as anti-corruption, labor, and immigration laws, among others.

Related Practices

Related Industries

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Advised international logistics providers on customs compliance, including potential operational changes, broker management, and licensing
  • Advised a logistics platform on Shipping Act compliance, including drafting FMC agreements, intercompany and operating agreements, and reviewing compliance policies
  • Created tailored export control compliance policies, procedures, and training for international software and media companies
  • Advised several large nonprofit organizations on conducting operations in China; helped U.S.-based non-governmental organizations obtain and maintain registrations around the world, identify local partners, and structure local entities correctly, to perform grant work
  • Worked with a leading U.S. food producer on logistics issues, contract reviews, customs mitigation, rerouting cargo, distribution arrangements, and litigation
  • Helped hardware producers obtain export licenses from BIS
  • Assisted with regulatory and legislative outreach on behalf of logistics providers, and the energy and automotive sectors

Insights

Credentials
+

Education

  • J.D. with honors George Washington University Law School 2016
    • George Washington Scholar
    • Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Board
    • Member, The George Washington International Law Review
    • Member, Forum on Law, Economics & Finance
  • B.A. Economics Barnard College, Columbia University 2009
    • Dean’s List, Student Leader Award

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Recognition
+

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2024 – 2025