Melissa Burgess

Melissa Burgess, a Senior Associate in the International department, advises clients on economic sanctions, export controls, and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reviews. She has significant experience addressing related national security, government contracts, and foreign ownership and control compliance matters. 

Ms. Burgess has counseled a wide array of clients, including major defense contractors and financial technology (fintech) startups, supporting endeavors ranging from manufacturing weapons systems to providing cloud services. Her experience encompasses the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and firearms and explosives import, export, and manufacturing regulations, as well as nuclear/atomic energy export controls. Ms. Burgess also advises on sanctions, compliance with national security restrictions on telecommunications and video surveillance equipment and services, and on anti-corruption and anti-forced labor laws. She helps clients create, overhaul, and implement compliance programs, provides strategic assistance troubleshooting interconnected supply chain, sales, and compliance efforts, and conducts due diligence and obtains regulatory approvals required for investments and acquisitions.

Ms. Burgess advocates before many regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry Security (BIS), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She has helped clients obtain authorizations for arms brokering, cross-border manufacturing, and imports/exports involving high risk and embargoed countries, respond to regulatory inquiries, inspections, and investigations, and resolve voluntary and directed disclosures.

Ms. Burgess received her J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law where she focused on homeland and national security law.