Matias Gallegos

Matías Gallegos is a customs and international trade attorney based in Houston, Texas, with a practice focused on the intersection of global trade, national security, and regulatory compliance. He began his legal career at Givens & Johnston in 2020 and has since built a strong foundation in imports, export controls, and economic sanctions. Originally from Santiago, Chile, and fluent in Spanish, Matías regularly assists both U.S. and international clients, including Spanish-speaking businesses, with complex matters involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). His practice includes tariff classification (HTSUS, ECCN, USML), merchandise valuation, country of origin determinations, prior disclosures, drawback claims, antidumping and countervailing duties, navigating trade remedies (Section 232, 301 International Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)). He has also handled petitions, offers-in-compromise, EAPA investigations, and litigation before the U.S. Court of International Trade. On the export side, Matías advises clients on compliance with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and U.S. sanctions programs under OFAC. His work includes guidance on deemed exports, controlled technical data, voluntary self disclosures, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), especially in connection with defense-related exports and government contracting. He also assists clients with designing and implementing comprehensive compliance programs, conducting internal reviews, and delivering corporate and employee training on import compliance, export licensing, sanctions screening, technical data controls, and anti-bribery/anti-corruption (ABAC) measures. Matías earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston, where he served as Director of National Security for the International Law & National Security Society and was a member of the editorial board for CURRENTS: Journal of International Economic Law. He twice represented South Texas in the Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law Competition and held leadership roles in various student associations. He is a certified mediator in Texas and the recipient of several academic and leadership honors, with a focus on international law and national security related topics. In his free time, Matías enjoys exploring global cuisines and is an avid home chef.