A key member of Fluet’s International Trade Practice, Rachel Hess brings over 15 years of regulatory and compliance experience with the ITAR, the EAR and OFAC sanctions regulations to the firm. Most recently, she worked with clients such as the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. During her time with the government she provided licensing, compliance and policy guidance to the exporting community on a wide range of complex export scenarios and supported a Department-level export controls compliance program.
Over her career, Ms. Hess has held positions as a Licensing and Compliance Officer at DDTC, and as a Sanctions Licensing and Enforcement Officer at OFAC. She also worked as a Senior Legal Officer in the Transnational Crime Unit at the Australian Attorney-General’s Office (Canberra) prior to moving to the United States.
Ms. Hess is excited to apply her extensive experience in international trade law to provide Fluet clients with authoritative guidance on U.S. laws, regulations, policies and procedures as they relate to import and export compliance.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University in Sydney and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney, Australia. Ms. Hess is admitted to legal practice in the State of New York and the Australian Capital Territory (Australia).
*Rachel Hess is only admitted to practice law, domestically, in New York.
Experience
- Advisory Opinion Lead Analyst (Contractor), Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) Bureau of Political and Military Affairs, Department of State
- Export Controls Project Manager, (Contractor), Science & Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security
- Sanctions Enforcement Officer, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Department of the Treasury
- Sanctions Licensing Officer, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury
- Compliance Specialist, Enforcement Division, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Bureau of Political and Military Affairs, Department of State
- Licensing Officer (Night Vision & Vehicles), Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Bureau of Political and Military Affairs, Department of State
- International Registration Supervisor, Piramal Critical Healthcare
- Senior Legal Officer Transnational Crime Unit, International Crime Branch, Criminal Law Division, Australian Attorney-General’s Department
Education
- LL.M., International Law, The University of Sydney
- Grad Dip. Legal Practice, The Australian National University
- LL.B., Macquarie University
- DipEd, Teacher Certification, Macquarie University
- B.A., Macquarie University
Certifications + Licenses
- New York State Bar
- Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court, Federal Courts and High Court of Australia (Canberra, Australia)
