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984-265-7800

Se Habla Español

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984-265-7800

Se Habla Español


Book Consultation


984-265-7800




Book Consultation


984-265-7800

Se Habla Español


984-265-7800


Free Consultation

Se Habla Español


Free Consultation


984-265-7800

Trusted Legal Counsel for Your Business Growth & Family Legacy

Export, Import, and Trade Compliance Lawyer in Lanham

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984-265-7800

Legal Service Guide: Export-Import and Trade Compliance

Businesses in Lanham and Prince George’s County rely on robust export-import and trade compliance to avoid penalties, shipment delays, and reputational risk. Our firm helps you navigate export controls, licensing, screening, and customs obligations so you can move goods efficiently while staying within federal and state regulations.
From due diligence to ongoing monitoring, we tailor compliance programs, audits, and training for manufacturers, distributors, and service providers. We help with denied party screening, classification, license applications, and policy development to minimize risk and support compliant international operations.

Importance and Benefits of Export-Import and Trade Compliance

Proper compliance reduces penalties, shipments delays, and reputational harm while enabling smoother cross border activity. A tailored program helps you meet licensing requirements, document controls, and supplier due diligence, making audits less stressful and more predictable. Our guidance positions your business to grow responsibly in global markets.

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Overview of Our Firm and Attorneys' Experience

Hatcher Legal, PLLC focuses on business and corporate matters, including export control compliance for Maryland clients. Our team brings practical experience guiding small and mid-sized companies through licensing, screening, and risk assessments, with responsive support and clear communication.
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Understanding This Legal Service

Export-import and trade compliance covers licensing, classification, screening, and recordkeeping. It also includes risk assessments, internal controls, and training to ensure your personnel understand obligations and your shipments clear customs and reach customers legally.
We tailor programs to your product categories, destinations, and business models. Whether you manufacture, distribute, or import goods, our approach integrates policy development, supplier screening, and ongoing audits to keep your compliance current amid changing regulations.

Definition and Explanation

Export controls regulate the movement of goods and technology across borders, while trade compliance ensures licenses, screening, and reporting are handled correctly. Understanding these terms helps you manage risk, avoid penalties, and maintain efficient operations across suppliers, channels, and destinations in both domestic and international markets.
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Key Elements and Processes

Key elements include product classification under EAR and ITAR, determining licensing needs, conducting denied party screening, maintaining export documentation, and rigorous recordkeeping. The processes involve risk assessments, internal controls, ongoing training, and audits to keep your program aligned with evolving regulations and to respond effectively during regulatory inquiries.
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Key Terms and Glossary

This glossary introduces common terms used in export-import and trade compliance. Understanding these terms helps you communicate clearly with counsel and regulators while building a robust compliance program that scales with your business.

Denied Parties

Denied Parties are individuals, companies, or governments prohibited from exporting or receiving goods under U.S. export controls. Regular screening against official lists helps prevent unauthorized transactions and protects your organization from penalties or reputational damage.

EAR

EAR refers to the Export Administration Regulations governing most commercial exports from the United States. It sets license requirements, classification rules, and guidelines to prevent sensitive technologies from flowing to restricted destinations.

ITAR

ITAR stands for International Traffic in Arms Regulations, governing defense-related articles and services. It imposes strict licensing, access controls, and recordkeeping to protect national security and requires careful handling of technical data and defense services.

Licensing

Licensing is the formal government authorization needed to export certain goods, software, or technology. The process involves classification, license types, and compliance conditions to ensure lawful international trade. It guides enforcement risk and helps you plan shipments.
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Pro Tips for Export-Import Compliance​

Build a practical compliance program

Create a documented program with clear responsibilities, routine training, and up-to-date licensing practices. Start with a risk assessment and implement controls that scale as your business grows. Regular reviews help catch changes in regulations early and keep teams aligned.

Stay Updated on Restrictions

Regulatory requirements shift with policy updates. Establish a channel for alerts, subscribe to official lists, and schedule periodic training so employees apply current rules to shipments and vendor relationships consistently.

Document and Audit

Keep accurate records, implement internal controls, and perform regular internal audits. Documentation supports compliance during audits and inquiries, while a routine review helps you adapt to new licensing and screening requirements across departments and regions.

Comparison of Legal Options

Businesses often weigh self-guided compliance against working with counsel. We provide guidance to balance cost, risk, and speed, outlining when external help adds value through structured programs, training, and ongoing support.

When a Limited Approach Is Sufficient:

Low-Risk Products

For low-value items with straightforward classifications and clear licensing requirements, a streamlined process can be appropriate. Still, you should document decisions and perform periodic checks to avoid drift into higher risk areas.

Simple Transactions with Clear Licenses

If your shipments are simple, destinations are stable, and licensing is unlikely, a limited approach may save time. However, monitor for regulatory changes and be prepared to broaden compliance if risk grows.
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Why a Comprehensive Legal Service is Needed:

Regulatory Complexity

When product lines are diverse or cross multiple regimes, a comprehensive service helps integrate licensing, screening, and reporting. It reduces gaps between departments and ensures consistent policy application across the organization.

Regulatory Change Management

Ongoing monitoring of rules and guidance helps you stay ahead of amendments. A full-service approach provides proactive updates, staff training, and ready-made responses for audits or enforcement inquiries and investigations when needed.
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Benefits of a Comprehensive Approach

A comprehensive approach aligns licensing, screening, and reporting with business goals. It minimizes compliance gaps, reduces risk of penalties, and creates a clear roadmap for growth, especially for businesses expanding into new markets.
The framework supports vendor diligence, training programs, and documented processes that demonstrate due care to regulators, customers, and partners. It also enables scalable governance, faster responses to inquiries, and consistent handling of complex licenses.

Improved Risk Management

A full-service program provides proactive risk assessment, early detection of regulatory changes, and systematic controls. This approach reduces penalties, corners of concern, and helps maintain steady supply chains across international operations.

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Operational Efficiency

Coordinated licensing, screening, and reporting streamline workflows, shorten cycle times, and improve data integrity. Teams collaborate more effectively when roles are defined and documented procedures are followed across multiple departments and regions.
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Reasons to Consider This Service

If your business touches cross-border trade, complying with export-control laws reduces risk, protects customers, and maintains supplier confidence. A compliant program also supports smoother customs clearance and healthier relationships with partners.
Choosing qualified guidance helps prevent costly violations, expedites approvals, and positions your organization for growth in regulated markets. It also reduces uncertain penalties and provides a clear road map for compliance programs.

Common Circumstances Requiring This Service

When launching new products for international sale, expanding to new destinations, or dealing with sensitive technologies, a robust export-control program helps prevent violations and delays. It also safeguards your assets and customer trust.

New Market Entry

Entering a new market often introduces unfamiliar licensing regimes, destination-specific restrictions, and supplier screening obligations. A formal program guides you through classification, licensing, and documentation to ensure compliant launches with minimal disruption.

Regulatory Audits or Inquiries

During audits or enforcement inquiries, having pre-audited records, clear processes, and a known point of contact helps you respond quickly and reduce potential penalties while preserving business continuity.

Regulatory Changes

Regulatory changes can impact licensing, classification, and screening. Proactive updates and staff training keep your organization compliant with minimal disruption and protect revenue streams.
Hatcher steps

Lanham City Service Attorney

We are here to help navigate export-import and trade compliance for your Maryland business, offering clear guidance and practical solutions from initial assessment through ongoing monitoring.
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Why Hire Us for This Service

Our firm focuses on practical, business-minded compliance. We tailor programs to your operations, provide transparent pricing, and respond quickly to inquiries. You gain a partner who helps you manage risk without slowing growth.

With experience across manufacturing and distribution, we understand complex supply chains, licensing pathways, and enforcement expectations. We communicate in plain language and deliver reliable results that support your operations today and tomorrow.
Our client-focused approach emphasizes collaboration, monitoring, and ongoing education to keep your team prepared for regulatory shifts. We align with leadership goals, provide clear milestones, and report progress with measurable results.

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984-265-7800

People Also Search For

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Related Legal Topics

Export controls

EAR classification

ITAR compliance

Denied party screening

Licensing requirements

Trade compliance training

Compliance audits

Global trade regulation

Cross-border licensing

Legal Process at Our Firm

At our firm, we begin with assessment, then design a tailored compliance program, implement controls, and provide ongoing support. Our collaborative approach helps you understand requirements, stay compliant, and respond confidently to regulatory inquiries.

Step 1: Assessment and Planning

We evaluate products, destinations, and processes to identify licensing needs, screening requirements, and policy gaps. The result is a practical roadmap for building an effective export-control program that scales with growth.

Product and Destination Review

We analyze product classifications, technology features, and end-use destinations to determine licensing pathways and screening requirements, aligning with EAR ITAR rules for compliant operations.

Policy and Controls Design

We help draft internal policies, implement access controls, and set documentation standards to support ongoing compliance and easy audits across departments and locations.

Step 2: Implementation

Implementation includes license applications, screening automation, training programs, and integration with ERP or supply chain systems to ensure consistent practice across the enterprise.

Licensing and Screening Deployment

We deploy licensing workflows, screening tools, and document controls that align with regulatory requirements and your product lines to minimize manual effort while maintaining accuracy across departments.

Training and Change Management

We provide role-based training, quick reference guides, and ongoing coaching to embed compliant habits across teams for faster adoption and fewer questions.

Step 3: Monitoring and Auditing

Ongoing monitoring, audits, and updates ensure you remain aligned with evolving rules. We support remediation plans, incident response, and continuous improvement across products, regions, and partners.

Ongoing Monitoring

We implement dashboards and alerts to flag changes, track licensing status, and verify screening accuracy in real time so you can act quickly.

Audit Readiness and Remediation

We prepare for audits with pre-work, document traceability, and remediation steps to close gaps efficiently, minimizing disruption to operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is export control and why does it matter?

Export control laws govern how goods, software, and technology can cross borders. They matter because violations can lead to severe penalties, shipment delays, and harm to business reputation. A practical compliance program helps your team classify items correctly, determine whether licensing is required, and maintain records to demonstrate due diligence during regulatory reviews.

Licensing requirements depend on the item, destination, end user, and end use. Many commercial items fall under EAR, while defense-related articles fall under ITAR and require licenses or licenses exemptions. Consult with counsel to conduct a proper classification and determine licensing pathways to avoid delays and penalties.

A program should be reviewed at least annually and after significant changes such as new products, markets, or distributors. Ongoing monitoring and periodic audits help catch policy gaps and keep you aligned with evolving rules.

Denied parties include individuals and entities prohibited from export transactions. Screening against official lists helps prevent illegal deals and protects your company from penalties. Regular updates are essential because the lists change frequently with policy updates.

Training builds awareness and reduces human error. It should cover licensing concepts, screening, recordkeeping, and incident response. Ongoing refreshers support sustained compliance as rules evolve and teams take on new responsibilities.

Many organizations start with internal processes and then add external guidance for complex issues, licensing decisions, and audits. Counsel helps interpret regulations, conduct risk assessments, and provide scalable programs that align with business goals.

Audits review classifications, licensing, screening, and recordkeeping to verify compliance. Regulators look for gaps, misclassifications, and missing documentation. A prepared organization responds with documentation, corrective action plans, and evidence of training and governance.

Begin with a baseline assessment of products, destinations, and processes. Identify gaps and assign responsibilities to create a basic framework. From there, implement licensing workflows, screening, training, and documentation to establish steady progress.

Glossary terms include EAR, ITAR, licensing, denied parties, screening, and classification. Understanding these terms helps conversations with lawyers and regulators and supports better decision making.

You can contact us by phone at 984-265-7800 or via the contact form on our Lanham office page. We offer practical guidance and ongoing support to help you build a compliant global trade program.

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