Nathalie Bougenies
About Nathalie
Located in Washington, D.C., Nathalie Bougenies advises domestic and international clients on a variety of business and corporate transactions. She assists companies with a wide range of legal issues, including the sale, distribution, marketing, labeling, and importation/ exportation of products and she counsels on general business contracts, including non-disclosure agreements, licensing agreements, and manufacturing agreements. Nathalie also conducts due diligence to assure compliance with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.
Additionally, Nathalie helps clients navigate the complex landscape of highly regulated industries, including maritime, energy, cannabis, and hemp. She assists these clients with their transactional needs, such as contract drafting and negotiation, regulatory compliance, and IP-related agreements.
During law school, Nathalie served as a Fellow with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where she researched complex IP issues, including counterfeiting and patent reforms, and advocated on behalf of Fortune 500 companies for stronger IP rights and global enforcement.
Nathalie was born and raised in Belgium and has lived and studied in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. She utilizes her broad international background to assist overseas clients with their foreign direct investment into the United States and offers unique and valuable insight to clients in their cross-border transactions.
Nathalie was born and raised in Belgium and has lived and studied in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. She utilizes her broad international background to assist overseas clients with their foreign direct investment into the United States and offers unique and valuable insight to clients in their cross-border transactions.
Representative Experience
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Domestic & International Transactional Work Plus
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Represent U.S. energy companies in negotiating and drafting cross-border IP agreements, including non-disclosure agreements and trade secret and technology agreements.
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Prepare distribution agreements between U.S. alcoholic beverage companies and foreign wholesalers.
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Draft sale of goods agreements between international clients and U.S. manufacturers of finished products intended for human consumption.
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Assist clients with foreign direct investment work, including compliance with the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)’s surveys of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S.
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Cannabis & Hemp Plus
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Advise clients on the regulatory framework and legality of manufacturing, selling, and marketing hemp-derived products in the U.S. and overseas.
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Assist cannabis clients with license application and regulatory compliance.
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Activities
- Multnomah Bar Association, Member
- Oregon State Bar, Member
- International Law Section
- Executive Committee, Member, 2023-present
- Business Law Section
- Intellectual Property Section
- International Law Section
- American Bar Association, Member
- Multilaw, Member
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® (Portland, OR)
- Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2024-present
- Corporate Law, 2024-present
- Selected for inclusion as an Oregon Super Lawyer—Rising Star, 2019-present
- Recognized as one of the Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers by Cannabis Law Report & Cannabis Law Journal, 2021-present
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Global Innovation Policy Center, Fellow, spring 2016
- 1884 Public Spirit Award, University of Oregon School of Law, 2013-2014
Insights from Nathalie
- “Mexico Opens Its Doors to the Commercialization of Hemp,” Above the Law (Mar. 2023)
- “Elon Musk’s Embrace Of Cannabis On Twitter: Weed Companies Still Celebrating Win-Win Situation,” Benzinga.com, quoted (Feb. 2023)
- “Twitter Greenlights Cannabis Marketing, but to What Extent” Above the Law (Feb. 2023)
- “2023, Not the Year CBD Gets Regulated,” Above the Law (Feb. 2023)
- “2023, the Year Of CBD?,” Above the Law (Jan. 2023)
- “2022, the Year of CBD Warning Letters From The FDA,” Above the Law (Dec. 2022)
- “Cannabis, a Potential Hazard in the Workplace,” Above the Law (Nov. 2022)
- “Will MLB and Charlotte’s Web Finally Convince the FDA to Do Its Job?” Above the Law (Oct. 2022)
- “The United States Court of International Trade Declares the Importation of Cannabis Paraphernalia Legal,” Above the Law (Oct. 2022)
- “Study Further Helps Destigmatize Cannabis Use,” Above the Law (Sept. 2022)
- “Cannabis Beverages Are on the Rise and So Could Be Operators’ Liability,” Above the Law (Aug. 2022)
- “How the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Could Hurt the Hemp Industry,” Above the Law (Aug. 2022)
- “Learning from Minnesota’s Mistakes,” Above the Law (July 2022)
- “A Uniform Testing Scheme: A Critical Component to the Cannabis Industry’s Success,” Above the Law (July 2022)
- “The Dangerous Case of ‘Copycat’ THC Edibles,” Above the Law (July 2022)
- “Travels with Nathalie,” Oregon Super Lawyers Magazine, featured (July 2022)
- “What’s Up with Pet CBD?” Cannabis Business Times (May 2022)
- “What Does the Ninth Circuit’s Ruling on the Legality of Delta-8 THC Mean for the Industry?” Above the Law (May 2022)
- “How Many More Warning Letters Will the FDA Issue before Promulgating Meaningful Regulations?” Above the Law (May 2022)
- “Did the DEA Seed Letter Abolish the ‘Source Rule’?” Above the Law (Apr. 2022)
- “FDA Warning Letters Are Pearls of Wisdom,” Above the Law (Apr. 2022)
- “Congress Understands the Need to Regulate CBD,” Above the Law (Mar. 2022)
- “The Hemp Advancement Act: A Good or a Bad Omen for the Hemp Industry?” Above the Law (Mar. 2022)
- “Are States Crossing the Lines?” Above the Law (Feb. 2022)
- “Cannabis Taxpayers, the IRS Is Here to Help (Seriously!)” Above the Law (Jan. 2022)
- “Why Cannabis Companies Should Care about Their Online Accessibility,” Above the Law (Dec. 2021)
- “The DEA Declares Delta-8 THC Is Not a Controlled Substance... But Does It?” Above the Law (Nov. 2021)
- “Brand Influencers: A Lucrative, Yet Risky Marketing Strategy for Cannabis Companies,” Above the Law (Nov. 2021)
- “Hemp-Derived Products: The Law Does Not Stop at Labeling Requirements,” Above the Law (Oct. 2021)
- “California Finally Jumps on the CBD Bandwagon,” Above the Law (Sept. 2021)
- “Stop Censoring CBD,” Above the Law (Aug. 2021)
- “The ‘THC In Milligrams’ Limit: A New Approach to Regulating Hemp Products,” Above the Law (Aug. 2021)
- “I Took a Delta-8 Gummy Before Going on a Run, Things Got Weird—Really Weird,” Refinery29, quoted (Aug. 2021)
- “The Unveiling of the CAOA: How the Senate Proposes to Regulate Marijuana,” Above the Law (July 2021)
- “Will Sha’Carri Richardson’s Suspension Help Marijuana Legalization over the Finish Line? Above the Law (July 2021)
- “House Appropriations Committee Seeks Clarity on 0.3% THC Rule in Hemp Industry,” Cannabis Business Times, quoted (July 2021)
- “Hemp Industries Association Urges Regulation, Not Prohibition, of Delta-8 THC,” Above the Law (June 2021)
- “Is 2021 the Year Marijuana Becomes Federally Legal? Probably Not.” Above the Law (June 2021)
- “How California Sneakily Banned CBD Cosmetics,” Above the Law (June 2021)
- “Will New York’s Cannabis Law Create Sweeping Changes for Its Hemp Industry?” Above the Law (May 2021)
- “Is Delta-8 THC a Controlled Substance?” Above the Law (May 2021)
- “Is Delta-8 THC Legal? Yes. No. Maybe.” Above the Law (Apr. 2021)
- “Hemp Is Much More than CBD,” Above the Law (Mar. 2021)
- “Famous Cannabis Entrepreneurs Care about Money AND Social Justice,” Above the Law (Mar. 2021)
- “Third Time’s a Charm: Will California Finally Manage to Regulate Hemp-Derived Products?” Above the Law (Feb. 2021)
- “Is 2021 the Year CBD Becomes a Lawful Dietary Ingredient?” Above the Law (Feb. 2021)
- “Some Pa. Stores Sell Delta-8 THC, Which Promises a Weed-Like High. Is it Legal?” The Times, quoted (Feb. 2021)
- “USDA Hemp Final Rule: Hits and Misses,” Above the Law (Jan. 2021)
- “What Does the U.N.’s Reclassification of Cannabis Mean?” Above the Law (Dec. 2020)
- “The EU’s Highest Court Declares CBD Is Not a Narcotic Drug,” Above the Law (Dec. 2020)
- “Can the U.S. Break Down Trade Barriers to Enter Europe’s CBD Food Market?” Above the Law (Nov. 2020)
- “CBD Cosmetics: Unregulated, Yes. Risk-Free, No.” Above the Law (Nov. 2020)
- “Hemp Industry Hits DEA with Another Lawsuit,” Above the Law (Oct. 2020)
- “Perils of the Dry-Weight Basis Threshold,” Above the Law (Oct. 2020)
- “One Last Chance to Fix DEA’s Controversial Hemp Rule,” The Leaf Online, quoted (Sept. 2020)
- “The Hemp Industry Sues the DEA over Its Interim Final Rule,” Above the Law (Sept. 2020)
- “The DEA Interim Final Rule: A Menace to the Burgeoning Delta-8 THC Industry,” Above the Law (Sept. 2020)
- “DEA Interim Final Rule Threatens the Existence of the Hemp Industry,” Above the Law (Aug. 2020)
- “Is CBN a Controlled Substance? Yes. No. Maybe.” Above the Law (Aug. 2020)
- “CBD and Hemp Industry Threatened by New DEA Rule,” Vaping360, quoted (Aug. 2020)
- “FDA Guidance on Cannabis Research: A Glimpse of What’s to Come for CBD Products?” Above the Law (July 2020)
- “The FDA Continues to Kick the CBD Can Down the Road,” Above the Law (July 2020)
- “Patchwork of Judicial Decisions Exacerbates Confusion on Legality of CBD Products,” Above the Law (June 2020)
- “The Role of Marijuana Tax Revenue in Fighting Racial Injustices,” Above the Law (June 2020)
- “Why CBD Products Could Be Regulated as Dietary Supplements,” Above the Law (June 2020)
- “Can CBD Companies Secure Federal Trademark Protection?” Above the Law (May 2020)
- “Are Lesser-Known Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids Legal?” Above the Law (May 2020)
- “Keep the FDA off Your Back: Don’t Make Medical Claims about CBD Products,” Above the Law (Apr. 2020)
- “COVID-19: Federal Relief Assistance Leaves Most Cannabis Businesses in the Weeds,” Above the Law (Apr. 2020)
- “The FDA and Hemp CBD: The States Have a Grab Bag of Hemp CBD Regulations (Part II),” Above the Law (Mar. 2020)
- “The FDA and Hemp CBD: Can’t We All Just Get Along? (Part I),” Above the Law (Mar. 2020)
- “Devil in the Details: Hemp Contracts Crucial as Litigation Jumps,” AgWeb, quoted (Nov. 2019)
- “Hemp Pitfalls and Promise: Alarm Sounded by Midwest Grower,” AgWeb, quoted (Sept. 2019)
- “Is Flying with CBD Legal? The Answer Is Far More Complicated than You’d Think,” Mic, quoted (May 2019)
- “The Untold Story of Patents and Innovation,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Above the Fold, coauthor (Apr. 2016)
- “Delta-8 and other Cannabinoids, Regulated or Not?,” myLawCLE (Apr. 2022)
- “Opportunities at the Intersection of Hemp and Marijuana,” CWCBExpo (Nov. 2021)
- “CBD and Social Media: Using Brand Protection PR™ to Avoid Pitfalls,” Move the Stairs, podcast (Oct. 2021)
- “Law Panel: Our Future: The Legal Landscape of the CBD Industry,” USA CBD Expo (June 2021)
- “Distributor Requirements for Hemp and Dietary Supplements: Pitfalls to Avoid,” Asa Waldstein, Regulatory Education Series (June 2021)
- “California Cannabis and Hemp Business Considerations,” The Seminar Group (Apr. 2021)
- “CBD Considerations in the Pacific Northwest,” The Seminar Group (Mar. 2021)
- “2nd Annual Food Label Claims: Risk Management & Substantiation Conference,” Q1 Productions (Dec. 2020)
- “Hemp & CBD Track: The Regulatory Framework of Hemp CBD Products: Can’t We All Just Get Along?” Marijuana Law Conference (Nov. 2020)
- “Cannabis E-Commerce: Legal and Regulatory Problems and Solutions for Online Marketing and Sales,” Lawline (Nov. 2020)
- “Hemp + CBD Q&A,” CBDx Retail Virtual Event (Oct. 2020)
- “FDCA and the FDA’s Position on CBD,” The Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Law Symposium (Sept. 2020)
- “How to Navigate the Marketing Landscape of Hemp-Derived CBD Foods and Dietary Supplements,” Q1 Productions (Aug. 2020)
- “How to Market & Sell CBD Products Online,” ASD Market Week (June 2020)
- “Regulation of non-THC Cannabinoids,” JD Supra: The Cannabis Law Sessions (June 2020)
- “Year End Spectacular Double Episode—Part One,” Lancaster Farming Podcast (Dec. 2019)
- “The Business of Marijuana in Oregon,” The Seminar Group (May 2019)
- “Cities and States Are Confused About Whether CBD Products Are Legal,” Marketplace, podcast appearance (Mar. 2019)
- “Industrial Hemp Podcast: Episode 9,” Lancaster Farming Podcast (Oct. 2018)
Outside the Office
Nathalie loves the arts and spends most of her free time in museums and movie theaters. She also enjoys long daily walks, listening to music, and cooking meals from scratch.