Overview
Augustine is an attorney in Dorsey’s National Security Law Practice Group. He advises clients on U.S. customs and international trade law, economic sanctions, export controls, and U.S. Government review of foreign investments. With experience in state and federal court litigation in New York and Seattle, Augustine protects clients’ interests in government enforcement actions and international trade proceedings. Proficient in Mandarin Chinese, he also counsels clients on matters relating to East Asia.
Augustine has obtained successful outcomes for clients in customs enforcement matters involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and tariff relief in Section 301 proceedings before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). He advises clients on U.S. trade remedies under Section 232, antidumping duties, countervailing duties, and safeguard duties. He counsels clients on tariff preferences under free trade agreements, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Augustine advises clients on national security requirements for cross-border transactions, including U.S. export controls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and economic sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). He helps clients to successfully resolve matters through voluntary self-disclosures and license applications. He conducts corporate investigations and compliance training, and counsels clients on trade-related due diligence and disclosures for capital markets transactions, including mergers and acquisitions. He also advises clients on reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Before relocating to Dorsey’s Seattle office, Augustine was at the firm’s New York office representing corporate clients in commercial disputes, including a major Chinese bank. He previously worked as an enforcement attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel at CBP Headquarters. Augustine served successively as a judicial clerk to two federal district judges in the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico.
Education & Admissions
New York University School of Law (J.D., 2008)
Cambridge University (M. Phil, 2005), Gates-Cambridge Scholarship
Harvard University (A.B., 2003), magna cum laude; Thomas T. Hoopes Prize
Admissions
- New York
- District of Columbia
- Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Honorable Gustavo A. Gelpí, 2010-2010
- U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Honorable José Antonio Fusté, 2008-2010
Experience
Representative Experience
- Manara Minerals in a deal to acquire 10% of Vale Base Metals Limited, the holding entity of Vale SA’s energy transition metals business
Economic Sanctions, Export Controls, and National Security Law
- Advise U.S.-based and international clients on compliance with U.S. sanctions programs and export controls to mitigate operational risks and provide training to key personnel.
- Apply for licenses to authorize transactions, and prepare voluntary self-disclosures to address violations.
- Advise clients on responses to federal government subpoenas.
- Conduct internal investigations to advise clients on compliance obligations.
- Conduct due diligence in support of mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and other capital markets transactions, and draft disclosures and contractual provisions.
- Counsel clients on potential risk of CFIUS review of foreign investments in U.S. enterprises and properties.
Customs and International Trade
- Represent U.S. importers in customs enforcement matters, including customs raids, detention and seizure of merchandise relating to alleged intellectual property rights violations and firearms import violations, and penalty notices relating to alleged duty evasion.
- Prepare successful requests for exclusion of products from the Section 301 tariffs.
- Advise importers on eligibility for tariff preferences under free trade agreements.
- Help clients with navigating changes to U.S. import tariffs under Section 201 (solar products), Section 232 (steel and aluminum articles), and Section 301 (goods originating from China and European Union).
- Represent clients in customs and trade litigation in U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- Represent clients in international trade proceedings before U.S. Department of Commerce, including successful application for separate rate for Chinese exporter in antidumping administrative review.
Commercial Litigation
- Defended major Chinese financial institution in federal district court litigation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, involving voluminous Chinese-language material, cross-border discovery disputes, and intensive motions practice.
- Represented issuer in securities enforcement action brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and related criminal proceedings brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.
- Represented U.S. banking institution in complex federal court litigation involving Chinese-language material, international discovery challenges, and deposition of Chinese-language witnesses.
- Represented major auctioneer of heavy equipment in debt collection actions.
- Represented entrepreneur in real estate partition action.
- Conducted internal investigation of Chinese company listed on a U.S. stock exchange.
News & Resources
Articles
News & Press Mentions
Select Presentations
- Panelist, “Global Trade and the FCA: House the FCA is Used to Police Trade, Tariffs, and Domestic Preferences,” 2024 False Claims Act Forum, Oct. 8, 2024.
- Panelist, “China in the Crosshairs: How to Navigate U.S. Regulatory Risks with America’s No. 1 Frenemy,” National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Convention, Nov. 9, 2023.
- Panelist, “UFLPA: A Year in Reflection and Projections for the Future,” U.S.-China Business Council, Oct. 12, 2023.
- Presenter, “CFIUS National Security Reviews in PRC-US Investment Transactions,” University of Washington Foster School of Business, July 21, 2023.
- Panelist, “Negotiating Supply Chain Agreements Under the New U.S.-China Trade Sanctions,” Strafford CLE, May 16, 2023.
- Moderator, “The ‘S’ in ESG: Addressing Forced Labor Issues,” New York City Bar Association CLE, Apr. 28, 2023.
- Panelist, “Unpacking the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,” Washington State China Relations Council, Sept. 28, 2022.
- Panelist, “Negotiating Supply Chain Agreements Under the New U.S.-China Trade Sanctions,” Strafford CLE, Apr. 12, 2022.
- Presenter, “Overview of EAR, ITAR, and OFAC Compliance,” Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition Annual Conference, Sept. 2020.
- Presenter, “U.S.‐China Trade Tensions and Impact on Chinese‐American Engineers,” Chinese Institute of Engineers (Seattle Chapter) Annual Conference, Sept. 15, 2019.
- Presenter, “Navigating Uncertainty Amidst Trade Tensions: Mitigation Strategies and Customs Import Compliance,” Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition 2019 ITAR & EAR Compliance Conference, Sept. 12, 2019.
- Panelist, “Section 301 Tariffs on Chinese Goods and Potential Relief,” Washington Council on International Trade, Sept. 3, 2019.
- Panelist, “Trump, Asia, and America as an Asian Power,” Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast 2017 Conference, Willamette University, June 11, 2017.
- Moderator, “Trade Disputes Involving the United States and China,” Brooklyn Law School, Jan. 21, 2015.
Industries & Practices
International Arbitration & Litigation
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceGovernment Solutions & Investigations
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceBanking & Financial Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceForeign Banks and Financial Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceHigher Education & Academic Research Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceEnergy & Natural Resources
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Asia-Pacific
- Banking & Financial Institutions
- China
- Commercial Litigation
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Foreign Banks and Financial Institutions
- Government Solutions & Investigations
- Higher Education & Academic Research Institutions
- Intellectual Property
- International Arbitration & Litigation
- International Trade
- National Security Law
- Technology
