Maria E. Celis
As the daughter of two physicians, an Obstetrician and a Neurologist, Ms. Celis’ first major at Columbia University was Pre-Medicine. However, she migrated to a Political Science major, after finding her niche in international law and diplomacy courses. She never looked back after being admitted into the Accelerated Entry Program at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and was fortunate to find so many valuable internships at the European Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and then finally at the Court of International Trade with Honorable Donald C. Pogue.
With close to twenty years experience, Ms. Celis is of counsel in the New York office of Neville Peterson LLP and enjoys working with Fortune 500, medium size, and smaller clients, practicing in the areas of international trade, Customs, export law, and other federal regulatory matters. She relishes resolving all types of issues, whether it deals with the Food and Drug Administration’s Good Manufacturing Practices, shipping regulations on lithium batteries, or filing a Customs prior disclosure on the valuation of a client’s merchandise. She has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Ms. Celis has been asked to speak before numerous groups regarding trade and compliance, including: Cargo Logistics America in San Diego, California; the Mediterranean Anglo-American Business Network (MAABN) in Aix-en Provence and Marseille, France; the International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA); the Midwest Global Trade Association (MGTA), in Minneapolis, MN; the Knowledge Group (webinars); and the Xinji Chamber of Commerce in Hebei, China, on such issues as FDA Compliance, Exporting and Business Strategies During a Recession, INCOTERMS, Free Trade Agreements, Essentials in Commercial Contracts, and Payment Terms in International Commercial Contracts; and NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking, and building Lego kits with her kids. She is an avid yoga practitioner.
Practice Areas:
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of United States (HTSUS) Classification
Valuation
Free Trade Agreements
Country of Origin and Marking
Drawback
Intellectual Property (Customs’ Enforcement)
Export Regulation
Penalties
Food and Drug Administration GMP Audits
Environmental Protection Agency TSCA Regulations
Education:
J.D., Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, 1999
B.A., Columbia College at Columbia University, 1995
Admissions:
New York
District of Columbia
United States Supreme Court
United States Federal Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Court of International Trade
United District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Associations:
Court of International Trade Bar Association
Midwest Global Trade Association
Mediterranean Anglo American Business Network
National Filipino-American Lawyers Association
Filipino-American Lawyers of New York
Philippine American Chamber of Commerce
