Wiley Rein Named an “International Trade Group of the Year” by Law360 for Fifth Consecutive Year

January 29, 2015

Washington, DC— For the fifth year in a row, Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice has been named an “International Trade Group of the Year” by Law360.  Wiley Rein’ s Team, chaired by Alan H. Price, was one of three International Trade groups in the country selected by Law360, and is one of only two International Trade practices to receive the honor every year since the inception of the awards. 

The publication wrote that Wiley Rein’s “diverse skill set within the international trade arena was on full display last year,” citing import relief victories for SolarWorld Industries America Inc. and domestic steel industry.  Law360 also noted the firm’s “shepherding [of] clients through an increasingly complex web of economic sanctions.”

“We look at many of our clients’ issues as not just a discrete piece of litigation or a discrete problem with the U.S. government, but how do we provide a comprehensive solution to a problem,” Mr. Price told Law360.  “And so we often set about a multifaceted approach that combines public affairs, government relations, all to build upon litigation or other strategy needed to accomplish our clients’ goals.”

The article mentioned Wiley Rein’s continued fight to secure anti-dumping and countervailing duties against Chinese and Taiwanese solar panel component producers.

“It’s been an extremely high-profile case and it’s one that China has fought every step of the way, so it’s really been a full-out litigation and government relations effort for 3 1/2 years,” partner Timothy C. Brightbill said. “It’s very rewarding to win and it’s also very rewarding to see the results for the company.”

Law360 also noted Wiley Rein’s “crucial advice on complying with a series of punitive economic sanctions levied against Moscow by the U.S. and European Union,” recognizing the work of partner Amy E. Worlton.

“We have been extremely active in the Russia-Ukraine sanctions area … helping our clients understand whether those sanctions apply to them and then the really practical question of getting comfortable with the risk,” Ms. Worlton told Law360.  “It’s one thing to adopt a sectoral-based sanction that's supposed to act like a scalpel, it’s an entirely different proposition to try and build a compliance program that you can be confident in.”

Even though its sole office is located in Washington, DC, Law360 noted that “the ripple effects of Wiley Rein’s work was repeatedly felt at the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Geneva headquarters, particularly in the closely watched dispute over China’s export restraints on rare earth elements.”  Wiley Rein attorneys supported the U.S. trade representative’s office in convincing the WTO’s Appellate Body to uphold a previous ruling on quotas and limitations on rare earth exports.

Wiley Rein’ s Team—which also includes John R. Shane, Daniel B. Pickard, Robert E. DeFrancesco III, Christopher B. Weld, Maureen E. Thorson, and Nova J. Daly—was selected by a panel of Law360 editors who reviewed 683 submissions across 26 practice areas from across the nation.