International Trade & Customs Law
In a complex global marketplace with “vanishing” borders, Jones Walker LLP advises and assists clients with developing and managing creative legal solutions for clients both at home and throughout the world. Our international trade and customs law team includes attorneys that focus on trade and customs law, as well as attorneys from the firm’s various practice groups in order to provide our clients with the broadest possible depth of experience in managing their issues in the global marketplace. Our experience covers many disciplines including transnational business strategies, domestic and international trade and economic policy and treaty negotiations, international trade practice and defense, and international intellectual property protection.
Over the years, our attorneys have successfully represented and defended U.S. manufacturers, importers and international producers/exporters of industrial and consumer products before the U.S. Courts, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and various foreign courts. These proceedings involved multiple investigations, administrative reviews, and sunset/five-year reviews under the Tariff Act of 1930 (antidumping and countervailing duty), the Trade Act of 1974 (safeguards and unfair trade practices), and Section 332 (Fact Finding)Investigations. Jones Walker also advises clients on issues arising under the various free trade agreements (FTAs) between the United States and our trading partners, participates in FTA negotiations, and advises on matters related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and dispute resolution proceedings. Jones Walker strategically plans import, export, and manufacturing programs to achieve maximum drawback benefits, and assists in drafting and shepherding legislation through Congress to help achieve these goals. The firm also advises clients in various aspects of intellectual property law, including new trademark, copyright, and patent filings, as well as the international protection and enforcement of existing intellectual property rights (IPR) through Section 337 Investigations before the ITC and the Federal Courts.
Our attorneys also advise clients on the full range of international trade challenges created by domestic and foreign export control laws, sanctions regimes, including the U.S. Foreign Assets Control and Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, as well as anti-money laundering regulations, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the USA Patriot Act, U.S. anti-boycott laws, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
Jones Walker’s extensive experience in coordinating responses within the Executive and Legislative branches uniquely positions the firm to take immediate action on behalf of clients facing product bans, administrative investigations, negative rulemakings, and other bureaucratic roadblocks to bringing their products to market. Our firm uses those same tools, combined with the principals’ own business experience, to counsel clients on long-term strategic solutions to avoiding administrative barriers. The attorneys at Jones Walker have successfully developed alliances among like-minded industry players in the U.S. market and from various countries to coordinate efforts with the U.S. and foreign governments to reduce trade barriers and/or advance principles of regulatory coherence among trading partners.