Tessa Capeloto

Tessa represents clients in a variety of international trade matters, including antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, anti-money laundering, and compliance matters. Tessa routinely counsels clients on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). She authored the firm’s FARA Issues Handbook and routinely advises clients on registration obligations and requirements under FARA.

Representative Matters

• Provides guidance on economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
• Represents clients in trade litigation before the Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and the Court of International Trade.
• Counsels clients on Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA, formerly DSS) matters, including Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) mitigation.
• Counsels clients on anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations and the development of AML compliance programs.

Professional Experience

• Research Assistant, Professor Jane Winn, University of Washington School of Law (2007-2008)
• Judicial Extern, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2007)
• Law Clerk, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington (Summer 2006)

Affiliations

• American Bar Association (ABA)
• Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), U.S. Capital Chapter
• Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Young Lawyers Advisory Council
• Steering Committee, District of Columbia Bar, International Law Section (2018-2020)
• The Association of Women in International Trade
• Association of Women in the Metal Industries – AWMI and Customs
• Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA)

Recognitions

• Recognized by The Legal 500 US as a "Recommended Lawyer" in International Trade and National Security: National Security (2025)
• Recognized by Law360 as a "Rising Star" in International Trade Law (2019)
• Included in The Best Lawyers in America directory for International Trade and Finance Law (2023-2026)