Geoffrey M. Goodale practices in the area of international trade. As member of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group, Mr. Goodale’s practice focuses on export controls, economic sanctions, import compliance, trade litigation, international intellectual property rights protection, foreign direct investment, cybersecurity and compliance counseling to government contractors.
He counsels companies on a wide range of issues relating to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) enforced by the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and the economic sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Mr. Goodale also conducts internal reviews and audits to assess compliance in these areas.
Mr. Goodale also advises clients on all aspects of compliance with U.S. import laws and regulations, including those relating to determining the proper classification, valuation and country of origin of merchandise. He regularly represents clients in matters involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB), including assisting clients in preparing for and undergoing CBP audits. He also assists clients in developing duty-savings strategies through the effective use of duty drawback, foreign trade zones and subzones, preferential duty programs and free trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Dominican Republic Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
Mr. Goodale’s experience includes representing both U.S. and non-U.S. companies in all manner of anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty cases before the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), including investigations, administrative reviews, scope ruling requests and anti-circumvention proceedings, as well as in appeals of certain DOC and ITC decisions to the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He also has represented complainants and respondents in trade-related intellectual property rights cases filed with the ITC under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and appeals of certain such decisions to the CAFC.
Additionally, Mr. Goodale possesses extensive experience in advising clients on international mergers and acquisitions. With respect to acquisitions by foreign entities of U.S. companies, this experience includes, among other things: taking actions necessary to clear proposed deals through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); filing required submissions with DDTC and/or BIS when export-controlled products and technologies are involved; and structuring transactions so as to mitigate foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) in a way that is acceptable to the Defense Security Service (DSS) in order for the U.S. company to maintain its Facility Security Clearance (FCL).
Mr. Goodale also provides compliance counseling to government contractors on a wide range of matters covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). In addition, he provides counseling to clients relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and conducts internal investigations to ensure that clients comply with the requirements of the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws, such as the UK Bribery Act.
As a member of the firm’s COVID-19 Strategy Team, Mr. Goodale has counseled numerous clients on various matters relating to the Defense Production Act (DPA), the CARES Act, and other actions that have been taken by the Trump Administration to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. Among other things, he has assisted clients in obtaining Section 301 product exclusions from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), ensuring that personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical devices satisfy the requirements established by applicable regulatory agencies (e.g., HHS, the FDA, and the USDA), and developing effective international supply chain strategies that permit PPE and other medical products to be imported and exported without difficulties.
A long-standing and active member of the American Bar Association (ABA), Mr. Goodale currently serves as Co-Chair of the ABA Section of International Law’s National Security Committee and Vice-Chair of the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section’s Business and Trade Division. He also currently is the Chair of the Virginia State Bar’s International Practice Section and Co-Chair of the D.C. Bar’s International Trade Committee.
Mr. Goodale is a 2001 graduate of the George Washington University Law School, where he was notes editor of the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal. Prior to law school, he received his M.A. and his B.A., with honors, from the College of William and Mary.
Areas of Practice
- Compliance Counseling
- Cyber-Risk, Privacy and Data Security
- Intellectual Property
- International
- Regulatory Law & Government Contracts
- Technology
- White-Collar Litigation & Investigations
