Tahlia Townsend

Partner

Co-chair of the International Trade Compliance practice, Tahlia is nationally recognized for her practice advising a wide range of US and international companies on, and defending companies in enforcement actions involving, export controls (ITAR and EAR), U.S. financial sanctions (OFAC), and U.S. foreign investment regulations (CFIUS). Repeatedly recognized in Chambers & Partners’ USA and Global rankings, and praised by her clients as a “fantastic” attorney who “really knows her stuff,” Tahlia provides a full range of trade compliance services from high stakes investigations, disclosures, and defense against government enforcement actions, to global M&A due diligence and preparation of notifications to CFIUS, to complex product classifications, licensing, and design and implementation of practical, effective compliance programs.

Tahlia’s clients include major global defense and aerospace companies, international financial institutions, global hi tech and electronics manufacturers, (re)insurers, venture capital and private equity, law firms, news media, universities, and foreign sovereign entities. According to Chambers Global, clients report that Tahlia is “highly skilled, careful and thorough,” “keenly aware of commercial ramifications,” “collaborates closely to ensure she understands her clients’ needs” and “provides very fast responses,” “explain[ing] complex ideas in a concise and clear fashion.”

A small sample of representative engagements includes:

• Retained by global aerospace company under an ITAR consent agreement to develop and deliver intensive training on all aspects of ITAR, EAR, and OFAC compliance to over 400 business and compliance personnel.
• Developed ITAR, EAR, and/or OFAC compliance policies and procedures for a variety of companies including small U.S. producer of ballistic fabrics and foreign producer of counter-UAS systems, large global supplier of aerospace components, Fortune 200 global freight forwarding and 3PL company, and foreign software company acquired by U.S. investors in deal worth over a billion dollars.
• Retained by a major financial institution to conduct wide-ranging investigation into, and preparation of disclosures to OFAC regarding, hundreds of potential violations of U.S. economic sanctions regulations, successfully culminating in closure by OFAC without penalty or other adverse action.
• Counseled leading European aerospace company regarding US foreign investment rules and prepared successful CFIUS Notice for the company’s acquisition of US aerospace assets, resulting in prompt regulatory clearance.
• Delivered multiple webinars on export controls and sanctions topics for the US Commercial Service.
• Conducted complex investigation of potential unauthorized exports via large scale software application employed by a major aerospace company and developed and oversaw implementation of robust corrective actions to permit compliant use of the software going forward.
• Retained by special acquisition vehicle of major international pharmaceutical company to advise  on CFIUS implications of U.S. biotech acquisition, culminating in successful mandatory disclosure of the acquisition to, and approval by, CFIUS.
• Engaged by top tier, Ivy League university to conduct a significant investigation into unauthorized exports of research materials, resulting in a successful voluntary disclosure submission closed by the regulator without penalty or other adverse action.
• Advised leading semiconductor industry supplier on export controls and sanctions, including submission of a successful voluntary disclosure related to exports to parties on the Entity List, resulting in closure without penalty or other adverse actions.
• Retained by major, global information technology provider to investigate and prepare sensitive voluntary disclosure regarding an international subsidiary’s transactions with a party subject to US sanctions.
• Engaged by major US telecommunications company to analyze applicability to international subsidiary of complex US rules that make foreign products subject to US export controls (De Minimis Rule and Foreign Direct Product Rules).
• Go-to advisor on complex US sanctions questions for several non-US financial institutions.
• Assisted large non-US defense company with classification of product, ITAR registration of US subsidiary, successful application for Technical Assistance Agreement to facilitate intracompany operations, and development of export controls compliance program.
• Retained by several major foreign corporations added to U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List to advise on the consequences of the designation and assist the companies to comply.

In addition to her trade controls practice, Tahlia is an accomplished federal civil litigator who has been recognized for her accomplishments by Benchmark Litigation. Her litigation matters have included: successful defense of a foreign sovereign nation in a dispute over title to medieval artifacts; successful defense of a former foreign president against claims that he violated international law; successful defense of a gallery’s title to one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings against a claim that Russia unlawfully expropriated it; representation of a museum in a dispute over Incan artifacts claimed by a Latin American nation; successful pro bono representation of prisoners in civil rights matters involving religious liberty and freedom from involuntary medication; and suits against government officials for authorizing torture and unconstitutional military detention without charge.

Tahlia earned her J.D. from the Yale Law School and served as law clerk to federal district court judges Hon. Robert N. Chatigny and Hon. Mark R. Kravitz. Before becoming an attorney, Tahlia obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics and chemistry, taught English at the Lauder Javne community school in Budapest, performed research in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, and studied French, German, and Hungarian.

Education

• Yale Law School  (J.D.)
  

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