Our people

Leigh is the leader of the Export, Customs & Trade team at Reed Smith and focuses her practice on two main areas: International Trade and Government Contracts.  She has significant experience representing a variety of corporations in export controls and export compliance matters including sanctions, and anti-boycott issues. This work includes preparing corporate export, customs and trade compliance programs and conducting compliance training for employees, audits and internal investigations, merger and acquisition due diligence reviews, voluntary disclosures, and drafting licenses and other agreements for transactions subject to the jurisdiction of the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury.

Leigh's government contracts experience includes representing protesters and intervenors in bid protests before the Court of Federal Claims, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Government Accountability Office, and various state procurement entities; handling matters before the Small Business Administration; handling claims against the government before various Boards of Contract Appeal; and defending qui tam actions. She has counseled clients on GSA Schedule issues, teaming, consulting and subcontracting agreements, as well as compliance and ethics programs for government contractors.

Publications

• "Hot Issues in Government Contracts: 2009 and Beyond," Reed Smith Client Alert (January 22, 2009)
• "U.S. Department of Commerce Seeks Public Comments on Export Controls and International Commerce," Reed Smith Client Alert (January 6, 2009)
• "Export Compliance – Sign Here Please," Vol. IV, No. 4 Federal Forecaster (Fall 2008)
• "OFAC Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines Summary," Vol. V, No. 4 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Fall 2008)
• "Bid Protest Amendments: Changes to GAO Administrative Practice and Procedure," Vol. IV, No. 2 Federal Forecaster (Summer 2008)
• "Defense Regulations to Require Export Controls Compliance," Vol. V, No. 2 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Spring 2008)
• "U.S. Exporters Trading with China and India Should Weigh the Opportunities and Risks Presented by the New VEU Authorization," Vol. IV, No. 4 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Fall 2007)
• "BIS Proposes ‘Country Group C’ for ‘Destinations of Diversion Concern’" Vol. IV, No. 2 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Spring 2007)
• "OFAC Revises Sanctions Against Sudan and North Korea," Vol. IV, No. 1 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Winter 2007)
• "Russian Companies Penalized Under Iran Nonproliferation Act" and "Failure to Follow License Provisos Leads to $1.9 Million Penalty," Vol. III, No. 4 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Fall 2006)
• "FinCEN Issues New Guidance on Anti-Money Laundering Program Requirements for Foreign Agents and Foreign Counterparts" and "Deconstructing Encryption: Department of Commerce Revises Encryption Regulations," Vol. II, No. 1 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Winter 2005)
• "UN Trade Sanctions After the Oil-for-Food Program" and "OFAC Reissues Burma Sanctions Regulations," Vol. II, No. 4 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Fall 2005)
• “When a Disclosure May Not Be Voluntary: Liability for Trade Violations and Sarbanes-Oxley” and "FinCEN Issues New Anti-Money Laundering Rule For Dealers in Precious Metals, Precious Stones, And Jewels," Vol. II, No. 3 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Summer 2005)
• "FinCEN Issues Guidance on the Relationship Between Banks and Money Services Businesses" and "The Information Divide: OFAC Issues Rules for Written and Internet Publications Intended for Sanctioned Countries," Vol. II, No. 2 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (Spring 2005)
• "Legal Update: Ups and Downs at the Bureau of Industry and Security," Vol. I, No. 2 Export, Customs and Trade Sentinel (July 2004)

Speeches / Presentations

• Speaker at the TRACE Annual Forum on the topic of "OFAC Enforcement Issues Related to Third Parties," Washington, DC (October 2009)
• Speaker at the Society of International Affairs' (SIA) Spring Conference in New Orleans on the topic of export compliance issues in mergers and acquistions (May 2, 2009)
• Speaker at the "Doing Business with the U.S. Government" seminar in London (June 26, 2008)
• Speaker at the "ITAR Compliance in Europe" conference in Munich, Germany (June 3, 2008)
• Served as a member of the export compliance panel at the International Corporate Compliance seminar on Regulatory Compliance in Washington, DC. (February 21, 2008)
• Speaker at the American Conference Institute's program on Encryption Controls - San Francisco, CA (January 2007)
• Featured speaker at Centre Consulting's seminar on the Fundamentals of Export Compliance - Washington, DC (November 2006 and April 2007)
• Speaker at the U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center's seminar on Export Control Investigations and Prosecutions Countering the Proliferation Threat - Columbia, SC (May 2006)
• Panelist, Women in International Law, Regulatory Law as a Positive Force for Change (April 2006)
• Presenter, three-part series on exports of technology and visa controls for IT professionals. Software and Information Industry Association (February 23, March 2, and March 9, 2005)
• Presenter, “Le Rouge et Le Noir: Avoiding Pain and Finding Gain in International Business Transactions,” French-American Chamber of Commerce (March 9, 2005)
• Export Compliance Audits Workshop at the American Conference Institute’s National Forum on Export Enforcement and Investigations in Washington, D.C. (October 17–18, 2005)

Experience

Legal Education

Undergraduate Education

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

• District of Columbia
• Maryland

Court Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals - District of Columbia Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals - Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals - Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• U.S. Court of Appeals - Maryland

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association - (International Division, Planning Committee Member, London, 2007 Meeting) (Public Contract Law Division)
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Maryland Bar Association
• Society for International Affairs
• Women in International Law - April 2007 Steering Committee Member
• Women in International Trade
• Listed on 2006 Best Lawyers International list for Trade in Global Region