214.643.6150
Michelle Schulz,
Managing Partner
michelle@schulztradelaw.com
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Michelle Schulz advises corporate clients on complex international trade and Customs compliance and enforcement matters. Her practice includes export and import disclosures, investigations, audits, penalties, encryption controls, and other complex areas of international trade law. Michelle has over 22 years of in-depth experience in international trade law.
Career Highlights
Under the Obama Administration, Michelle served two terms on the President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA), where she had the privilege of advising the US Department of Commerce and US Trade Representative on exports and Export Control Reform. In addition, Michelle served ten years as a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative on the Industry Trade advisory for Aerospace (ITAC-1).
As outside trade counsel for major corporations worldwide, Michelle works in a variety of industries such as oil and gas, aerospace, electronics, health care, food and beverage, and automotive. She regularly represents Fortune 500 manufactures, distributors, and defense contractors. She frequently leads corporate counsel, buyers, and sellers through the due diligence process for international trade in mergers and acquisitions.
Michelle is well-versed in defense exports under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) as well as dual-use exports under Export Administration Regulations (EAR). She is highly experienced in the US Customs Regulations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), and Committee on Foreign Trade Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) regulations. She routinely navigates compliance issues in sanctions, embargoes, Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs), free trade agreements, country of origin, valuation, and trade data reporting to the U.S. Census Bureau (Census).
Michelle’s practice is solution focused. She has a reliable history of negotiating with enforcement with a solid understanding of the government requirements and expectations. Proactively, she collaborates well with corporate teams to design and implement effective trade compliance programs and mitigate risk exposure.
Leadership
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Secretary, Texas European-American Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Present.
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Chair of the International Law Section of the Texas State Bar from 2018-2019.
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Recognized in Texas as a Rising Star for International Law, Super Lawyer Magazine, 2010-2011.
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A leader in her field, Michelle frequently presents on international trade topics at professional conferences worldwide.
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Chairs Award, International Law Section, Texas State Bar, 2017 & 2018
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Advisor, President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA), and past chair of PECSEA Data Transmission and Security Subcommittee.
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Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Aerospace (ITAC-1), Advisory Committee to U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative, past chair Export Expansion Subcommittee.
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D/FW French-American Chamber of Commerce, past member, Board of Directors
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Dallas Regional Chamber Trade Development Committee, past Vice Chair
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Dallas/Fort Worth Organization of Women in International Trade, past Vice President of Legal
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Youth 180, past Member, Board of Directors
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Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women, Mentor to Entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda
Credentials
Michelle received her B.A. in French and German with honors from Tulane University, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. She earned her M.A. in German from Vanderbilt University, where she worked as a teaching assistant and German librarian. Michelle received her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law.
Proficient in German and French, Michelle has studied abroad extensively. She spent one year at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne. Her international education also includes language studies at the Lessing-Kolleg (Marburg, Germany) and international law at the renowned University of Leiden (The Netherlands). She participated in the Fulbright Educational Program in Vienna, Austria, where she worked and studied for one year.
Michelle is a native Texan with a global perspective. In her spare time, she enjoys laughing with her children, traveling, and learning kickboxing.
Michelle is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas and The U.S. Court of International Trade.
Past Presentations
"Export Control Advocacy: How to make an Impact",
Speaker International Compliance Professionals Association Summer Conference, June 2022
“Russia Sanctions,” Speaker,
International Compliance Professionals Association Virtual Seminar, February 2022
“Heading Out” Export Compliance Panel,
Panelist, Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, Summit of the Americas, February 2022
"Building a Compliance Program from the Ground Up"
Speaker, International Compliance Professionals Association Fall Conference, September 14th, 2021
“Exporting to the Cloud: Lowering Your Company’s Online Risk”
Speaker, Association of Corporate Counsel, Southern Methodist University, October 22, 2021
"CTPAT – What’s in it for You?"
Speaker, 2021 ICPA Summer Conference July 28, 2021
"Brokering Requirements and the Lengths and Limits of ITAR Exemptions"
Co-Speaker, 2021 ACI ITAR Virtual Conference April 22, 2021
"ITAR – How to Obtain an Export License or Agreement"
Speaker, 2021 ICPA ITAR Conference April 15, 2021
"Understanding Encryption Technology"
Speaker, 2021 ICPA Spring Conference March 30, 2021
"Exports Outside Your Lane"
Speaker, 2021 ICPA Spring Conference March 30, 2021
"Export Enforcement: The Real World According to BIS and In-House Counsel"
Speaker, 99th Annual AAEI Conference, September 1, 2020
"Seventh Annual International Law Seminar Networking Lunch"
Speaker, State Bar of Texas International Law Section, Dallas, TX February 27, 2020
“Creating a Functional Export Compliance Manual”
Speaker, International Compliance Professionals Association, Orlando, FL, March 27, 2019
"Miami-Gateway to the Latin American Market"
Speaker, Miami French-American Chamber of Commerce, February 2018
“What a Transactional Lawyer Needs to Know about U.S. Economic and Trade Sanctions”
Speaker, Special Institute on International Mining and Oil & Gas Law, Development, and Investment
April 2019
“Knowing Your Legal Position: And Planning Strategically with CTPAT”
Speaker, NCBFAA G-TEC 2018 Global Trade Educational Conference, July 2018
"Bribery Corruption – Contrasting US, European and Latin American Standards"
Speaker, 2nd Annual Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Conference of the Americas (COTA) December 2017
"The Game Plan: What Does Today’s Trade Policy Mean for Your Company"
Speaker, Austin Area Trade Compliance Roundtable, October 2017
"Trade Policy and Sanctions in the Current Administration" Speaker,
Southern Methodist University Law Review Corporate Counsel Symposium, October 2017
“The Core Elements of an Export Management and Compliance Program: How to Design Effective Policies and Procedures for Your Global Business"
Speaker, American Conference Institute (ACI), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) Boot Camp, May 2017
"International Trade and Sanctions 90 Days into the Trump Administration"
Speaker, Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) U.S. Chapter Luncheon, April 2017
“Anti-Boycott and OFAC Compliance: So Far...Yet So Close”
Speaker, International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA), March 2017
"The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Key Considerations for Your Compliance Program"
Speaker, International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA) China Conference, November 2016
“Cuba Sanctions: Navigating the Recent Changes”
Speaker, Austin International Business Law (IBL) Roundtable/IBLCT Meeting, May 2016
"Life of a Trade Lawyer Outside the Beltway"
Speaker, ABA International Trade Committee Meeting, March 28, 2016
"Developing Guidance on Technology Controls Plans Under the Export Administration Regulations" Member/ Speaker, The President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) Meeting, March 16, 2016
"Red Light, Green Light: Compliance in the Ever-Changing World of Sanctions and Embargoes" Speaker, Texas State Bar International Law Section Annual Institute, March 2, 2016
"Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance: Conducting Due Diligence on Third Parties"
Speaker, Association of Corporate Counsel Luncheon, November 10, 2015
"You Sent What? To Where?! The US Sanctions and Their Impact on US Exporters Today"
Speaker, 2015 ICPA Fall Conference, October 26th, 2015
"Avoiding Common Mistakes in Global Trade Compliance"
Speaker, Association of Corporate Counsel in Houston, October 16th, 2015
"Export Control Reform in Practice - Large and Smaller Exporters Discuss Their Experiences with Applying New Rules and Addressing Implementation Challenges"
Speaker, ACI’s 6th National EAR Boot Camp, February 23, 2015
"How to Obtain an EAR License and Reduce the Risk of Delays: Filling out Form BIS-758P and Using SNAP-R"
Speaker, ACI’s 6th National EAR Boot Camp, February 23, 2015
"Understanding the Current Environment for Export Controls and the Role of Government Agencies for ITAR Compliance"
Speaker, 2nd ITAR Compliance West Coast Conference, November 17, 2014
"Avoiding Common Mistakes in Global Trade Compliance"
Speaker, Annual Southern Methodist University Law Review Corporate Counsel Symposium, October 31, 2014
"Riding the Global Economy: Readiness & Competitiveness in the Global Market"
Speaker, 2014 Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce Texas Regional Conference, September 24, 2014
"Deep Dive into the Most Misunderstood Details of Export Control Reform: A Category-by-Category Review of the Most Technical, Complex Changes Affecting Your Global Export and Re-Export Compliance Program"
Speaker, American Conference Institute’s 17th National Forum on Global Export Controls Compliance, June 11, 2014