Export Compliance Essentials: A Multi-Part Compliance Series

Jon Yormick is a trusted international business and trade attorney and counsellor, with more than 30 years of practice experience, often focusing on sensitive investigations, voluntary and directed self-disclosures, penalties and enforcement, compliance, and litigation related to antiboycott regulations, customs, export controls, economic sanctions, FCPA/antibribery, and government procurement matters.

Jon regularly represents clients in sensitive investigations, detentions, seizures, enforcement, licensing, and ruling proceedings before the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and Mexico’s Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) on import and export laws and regulations, including the Export Control Reform Enforcement Act (ECRA), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  He also advises clients on issues involving international trade and federal government contracts such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)/Defense Federal Acquistion Regulations (DFARS), the Berry Amendment, the Buy American Act, the Trade Agreements Act, as well as Made in USA claims administered and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Rachel Small brings more than 15 years of government, defense-industry, and private-practice experience advising clients on US and international export controls, sanctions, and national security regulatory matters. She counsels companies across the defense, aerospace, and technology sectors on compliance with the ITAR, the EAR, and OFAC sanctions regimes, offering practical, risk-focused guidance tailored to complex operational environments.

Rachel assists clients with internal investigations, voluntary disclosures, jurisdiction and classification analyses, and compliance program development. She regularly supports organizations in navigating multi-agency regulatory frameworks, managing cross-border technology and data issues, and addressing evolving global trade and national security risks.

Her government experience includes significant regulatory and enforcement roles in the United States and Australia. In the US, Rachel served with the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), where she worked on licensing, compliance, and enforcement matters involving defense articles, technical data, and defense services. Rachel also served as a Sanctions Enforcement Officer at the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), where she handled investigations involving U.S. economic sanctions laws.

In Australia, Rachel held several legal and policy roles, including serving as a Senior Attorney in the International Criminal Law Division of the Australian Attorney-General’s Department. Her cross-jurisdictional experience provides a well-rounded international perspective on regulatory interpretation, enforcement priorities, and practical compliance governance.

Most recently, Rachel served as Assistant General Counsel for Global Trade at Leidos, advising a multinational defense contractor on export controls, sanctions compliance, and national security regulatory obligations.

She holds a Master of Laws in International Law and is admitted to practice in both New York and Australia.

Matt Henson is a trade compliance and data-governance technologist working at the intersection of global export regulations, artificial intelligence, and enterprise IT. He specializes in automating export-control and authorization processes for intangible assets—technical data, software, and AI models—where traditional compliance frameworks break down.

With a career spanning trade compliance, information architecture, and emerging technologies, Matt is focused on modernizing export controls for the digital age—where files move faster than people, innovation is global by default, and compliance must operate at machine speed.  

Mathew D. Woodlee is an international trade and export controls expert with nearly 25 years of experience advising in high-technology, aerospace, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and defense-adjacent sectors. As a former Director and Global Team Leader with the International Trade Administration, he has led numerous trade and compliance initiatives at the U.S. Commercial Service, for both internal and external stakeholders.

His expertise includes global market entry and expansion, technology commercialization, export controls, dual-use technology development and sub-national economic engagement. 

Mathew is Founder and Managing Director of MDW Trade & Tech, a boutique advisory firm delivering special project execution, export controls compliance (MDW ExportComply™), global market expansion advisory and execution (MDW GoGlobal™), and U.S. market entry assistance for small, international tech firms (MDW EngageUSA™).

David has worked in global trade compliance and logistics for over 30 years.   Prior to joining MGTA, David led the import/export compliance program for a global manufacturer and worked as a global trade consultant for a wide variety of organizations. His background includes the creation of multiple import / export compliance programs, Commerce/State/OFAC licensing, product classifications, entry audit programs and origin/content/landed cost determinations.

David has been an active speaker in numerous areas of global trade. David is a Licensed Customs Broker, Certified ITAR Professional and holds numerous certifications in Supply Chain Management.