Deborah M. Wei | Washington, D.C. | Hogan Lovells

Deborah M. Wei

Senior Associate Global Regulatory

Languages

English, Mandarin Chinese

Wei Deborah

Deborah M. Wei
Wei Deborah
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Credentials
  • Insights and events

Deborah Wei advises global companies on a range of international trade matters, distilling complex regulatory requirements into practical advice. She guides clients through the regulatory and policy landscape of U.S. trade law with a focus on economic sanctions and export controls.

Deborah helps clients comply with international trade laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the sanctions regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). She assists clients in voluntary disclosure reports and investigations before government agencies including the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), OFAC, and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). Deborah also develops and enhances effective trade compliance programs for companies in various industries, including telecommunications and technology, travel services, health care, and education. She regularly assists clients with submission of licensing, registration, and export classification filings to BIS, OFAC, and DDTC.

Deborah has also counseled clients on matters involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, anti-boycott, anti-money laundering, and immigration.

During law school, Deborah was a research assistant to professor Anu Bradford in the field of international antitrust law. She was also a staff member of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law and received the Parker School Certificate in International and Comparative Law. In the summer following her first year of law school, she gained valuable experience as an intern in the Appeals Bureau at the Kings County District Attorney's office in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to law school, Deborah interned in Shanghai, China, with a Chinese law firm.

Representative experience

Assisting a major Chinese telecommunications company with trade compliance monitorship arising from settlement agreement with the U.S. government.
Advised a U.S. travel service provider regarding general licenses and sanctions compliance issues related to business in Cuba.
Counseled a global luxury goods company regarding U.S. sanctions compliance issues.
Assisted a U.S. company in developing a comprehensive trade compliance program, including delivery of relevant compliance training.
Obtained U.S. export and deemed export licenses for unmanned aerial vehicles technology developed in the United States.
Advised major social media companies regarding sanctions and export control compliance.
Assisted a U.S. health care solutions provider on classification and deemed export compliance related to software products.
Assisted companies with voluntary disclosures to BIS, OFAC, and the DDTC.
Conducted investigation of retransfers of ITAR-controlled items between end users and prepared voluntary disclosure submission to the DDTC.
Supported investigations under ITAR of potential provision of technical data and defense services to foreign persons under a U.S. government contract.
Developed ITAR compliance program for a U.S. company, including technology control plans and deemed export guidance.

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., Columbia Law School, Parker Certificate in International and Comparative Law, 2014
  • B.A., Duke University, cum laude, 2011
Bar admissions and qualifications
  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland