Nelson G. Dong
PEOPLE

Nelson G. Dong

Of Counsel
dong.nelson@dorsey.com

Overview

NELSON DONG IS AN OF COUNSEL IN DORSEY & WHITNEY’S SEATTLE OFFICE AND SERVES AS CO-HEAD OF ITS NATIONAL SECURITY LAW PRACTICE WITHIN THE FIRM’S GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS GROUP. HE ADVISES COMPANIES, PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES, UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS ON EXPORT CONTROLS, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT MATTERS. HE IS ALSO AN AUTHOR AND TEACHER ON INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LAW ISSUES.  

Nelson was a White House Fellow and senior U.S. Justice Department official in the Carter Administration responsible for international and national security matters and was a federal prosecutor in Boston. He has twice been an export control policy advisor to the U.S. Commerce Department and has served for over a decade as a director of the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York City. He is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, a director of the Washington State China Relations Council in Seattle, a member of the Advisory Board for the Asia Society of Northern California Seattle Center and an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee of 100. Nelson has also been an adjunct professor of international law at Seattle University Law School.  

Prior Experience
Nelson was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Boston (1980-82); Deputy Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice (1979-80); and White House Fellow and Special Assistant to U.S. Attorney General Griffin B. Bell, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. (1978-79).

Education & Admissions

Yale Law School (J.D., 1974)

Stanford University (A.B., Economics, 1971), Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Minnesota
  • Washington

News & Resources

Articles

U.S. Piles on Array of New Sanctions Against Russian Military-Industrial and Financial Sectors
Biden Administration Adds Sanctions Against Foreign Financial Institutions Supporting Russia’s Military-Industrial Base
Petition Seeks Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Aluminum Extrusion Imports from Fifteen Countries
Fundamental Research & National Security: Recent Developments & New Issues
Executive Order 14105 on Outbound Investment in China and Proposed Rule
Outbound Investment Screening Becomes a Reality
DOJ Strike Force Allegations Highlight Diversion and Theft from U.S. Companies
U.S. Treasury Department Takes Action Against Russian Darkmarket Entity as Latest Government Move Against Cybercrime
Foreign-Owned U.S. Companies Must Soon Respond to Federal Survey
United States Imposes New 200% Tariffs on Russian Aluminum, Further Expands Sanctions on Russia, and Warns of New Third Country Sanctions
United States Continues Expansion of Export Control Sanctions on Chinese Companies
Congress, President Align on Powerful New U.S. Intellectual Property Protection Law
FCC Bars Imports of Telecommunications Equipment or Technology from Certain Chinese Producers
Biden Administration Restricts U.S. Exports of Advanced Computing and Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Software, and Technology to China
Key Takeaways From President Biden’s Executive Order 14083 on Ensuring Robust Consideration of Evolving National Security Risks by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”)
CFIUS Annual Report - A Banner Year for Filings and Inquiries to Parties of Non-Notified Transactions
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Releases Importer Guidance for Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Implementation
U.S. Treasury Department Clarifies Previous Prohibitions on New Investments in Russian Equities and on Export of Trust, Accounting and Management Consulting Services to Russia
U.S. Bars Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services and Adds Export Restrictions to Russia
United States Bans Russian-Affiliated Ships from Entering Any U.S. Port
U.S. Government Sanctions Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Prohibits All New Investments in Russia, Imposes New Export Restrictions against Russian Civil Aviation & Ends PNTR Status for Russia and Belarus
U.S. Expands Russian Energy Sector Sanctions, Proposes Major Tariff Hikes on Nearly All Russian-Origin Goods & Imposes New Sanctions on Belarus
FinCEN Urges Financial Institutions to Guard Against Attempts to Evade Sanctions
United States Imposes More Sanctions to Block Russian Access to U.S. Banking System and U.S. Goods, Technology or Software
U.S. and Allied Countries Impose Sanctions Targeting Russian Financial Sector and Ukraine Separatist-Territories

News & Press Mentions

200 Dorsey Lawyers Selected for Inclusion in 2024 Best Lawyers in America, Lawyers of the Year, and Ones to Watch
Dorsey Of Counsel Nelson Dong Speaks at 2023 WCIT Trade Summit
Dorsey Of Counsel Nelson Dong Discusses Cross-Border Complications for Canadian Companies
Nelson Dong Remarks on Biden's Russian Oil Band
Nelson Dong: 'Now, more than ever, U.S. businesses need to remain active in their various trade associations'
Dorsey Congratulates Nelson Dong on Being Named One of PSBJ's 2021 Directors of the Year
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Remarks on Biden Focusing on US-China Trade
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Remarks on Huawei and US Sanctions
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses Another Huawei Ban
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Comments on US-China Tariffs and COVID-19
Dorsey & Whitney Expands “China Initiative” Task Force
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Comments on Trade and the Coronavirus Outbreak
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Comments on US-China Trade Policies
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses China Cutting US Tariffs
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Comments on Harvard Chemist with China Ties
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Comments on Tariffs Impacting Construction in 2020
U.S. May Be Losing Out With Bilateral Trade Deals: Nelson Dong
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses Phase One Tariff Agreement
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses How Tariffs Will Impact 2020
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Remarks on US Huawei Ban
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses How China Tariffs Will Affect Black Friday
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses US-China Resuming Trade Talks
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses No Trade War Solution--US Growth Falls
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses Negative Impact of US-China Tariffs
Dorsey Partner Nelson Dong Discusses US-China Reactions and Counter-Reactions

Events & Speaking Engagements

Webinar Playback: Understanding Evolving U.S. Sanctions on Russia
Twists and Turns of the DOJ’s China Initiative
Webinar Playback: Anti-Corruption 2021 Conference
Webinar Playback: 3rd Annual Food Summit
International Roundtable Series: Iran Sanctions and the U.S. Business Community
Episode III: Effects of U.S. Withdrawal from the Joint Cooperative Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran (Iran Nuclear Deal)
Rising Tensions in Asia: A Threat to Your Business or Mere Theater?
Industry Experts and Dorsey Partners Speak at Anti-Corruption 2014 Spring Conference
Recent Developments with CFIUS
Sixth Annual Intellectual Property & Technology Institute
Outsourcing Challenges and Solutions: From Independent Contractors to Offshore Outsourcing
International Traffic in Arms Regulations
Minnesota High Tech Association's Spring Conference: "Will Minnesota Remain Globally Competitive?"
Asia M&A Forum 2006
Corporate Law for Intellectual Property Lawyers Workshop
Legal Awareness for Asian Americans and Immigrants
China Business Colloquium: A China Seminar for U.S. Businesses
China Institute of Engineers Annual Meeting
2003 American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference

Select Presentations

  • Panelist, “Export Control Reform and Industry,” ICE Seattle Export Control Seminar, October 2013
  • Presenter, “Cyber Security and International Travel,” ICE Seattle Export Control Seminar, October 2013
  • Presenter, “Recent Developments with CFIUS,” Dorsey U CLE Program, July 17, 2013
  • Panelist, “Chinese Companies’ Outbound Investment in the United States,” Fourth Fudan EMBA New York Forum, Bank of America Tower, May 6, 2013
  • "Going Global: Ensuring Compliance with U.S. Law," Dorsey Symposium for Corporate Leaders, February 2009

Industries & Practices

Educational Publishing, Technology & Services
Government Solutions & Investigations
  • Anti-Corruption Group
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Aviation
  • Banking & Financial Institutions
  • Canada Cross-Border Transactions
  • China
  • Educational Publishing, Technology & Services
  • Emerging Companies
  • Energy & Natural Resources
  • Europe
  • FinTech
  • Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
  • Government Solutions & Investigations
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Intellectual Property
  • National Security Law
  • Technology Commerce

Professional & Civic

Professional Achievements

  • Director, National Committee on U.S. – China Relations
  • Member, KUOW Board of Directors
  • Director, Washington State China Relations Council
  • Member, President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration, 1999-2001 and 2010-present
  • Associate Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys
  • Member of the Committee of 100 (a national non-profit organization working for better U.S.-China relations and the civil rights of Chinese Americans)
  • President, TechLaw Group (an international consortium of leading law firms that serve high technology clients), 1996-99
  • Member, American Bar Association, Sections on Business Law and International Law and Practice and Asian Bar Association of Washington
  • Member, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Accolades

          Contributed 100+ Pro Bono Hours in 2021Contributed 100+ Pro Bono Hours in 2020  Chambers USA 2018 Leading Individual
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers in America©, International Trade and Finance Law, Technology Law, 2024
  • Contributed more than 100 Challenge pro bono hours, 2020-2022
  • Dorsey & Whitney – Scales of Justice Team Award (The World Ventilator Foundation), 2021
  • Named one of Puget Sound Business Journal's (PSBJ) Directors of the Year, 2021
  • Named one of “America’s Leading Business Lawyers” by Chambers USA (International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions), 2018
  • Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 - World's Leading Patent Practitioners, 2013
  • Named a “Top Rated Lawyer” in Technology Law by American Lawyer Media, 2013
  • Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®
  • Listed as a Washington Super Lawyer, 2011
Nelson G. Dong