Counsel

Joan Koenig is counsel in the Corporate & Securities Practice Group on the Customs and Trade and International teams.  She possesses substantial experience in international trade regulations, particularly those relating to U.S. export controls (ITAR, EAR, FACR, FTR) and customs regulations. 

Joan has considerable experience applying U.S. export controls, customs and international trade laws and regulations to various situations and business transactions for both U.S. and non-U.S. companies.  She has extensive experience representing clients before administrative agencies involved in international trade, including the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce and Treasury, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Her experience includes assisting clients in obtaining export licenses, manufacturing license and technical assistance agreements, authorizations from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, as well as other types of export approvals from applicable agencies and working to structure transactions to comply with the export control regulations.  She also assesses potential violations, and has assisted clients in filing voluntary disclosures to regulating agencies and works to cancel or minimize any potential fines and penalties.

Prior to joining the firm, Joan acted as manager for the Office of Export Compliance at General Motors Corporation and was a member of GM’s Customs Administration Group where she provided expert advice and counsel to GM’s global business units regarding compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations.  Before joining GM, she practiced international trade law in Chicago.

In General.  Joan is a member of the Trade Support Network Export Committee, and the Society for International Affairs.  She received her J.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1994 and her bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Ripon College in 1986. 

Joan is admitted to practice law in Illinois, Michigan, and before the Court of International Trade, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.