Susan G. Esserman

Partner

• sesserman@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Susan G. Esserman is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she is Chair of the firm’s International Department. Ms. Esserman provides legal and strategic advice to domestic and foreign clients on expanding access to global markets and represents clients in international trade litigation and dispute resolution matters. She has special experience concerning World Trade Organization (WTO) issues and the US trade laws, based on her previous high-level government positions as a US trade negotiator as well as the decision maker in antidumping and countervailing duty cases. A significant focus of Ms. Esserman's practice involves US-India and US-China matters.

Ms. Esserman previously served as Deputy US Trade Representative, the second ranking official at USTR, with the standing of Ambassador, and she held three additional senior posts at USTR and the Department of Commerce. As Deputy USTR, Ambassador Esserman was responsible for US trade policy and negotiations in the WTO and with Europe, India, Russia, the former Soviet Union, Africa, and the Middle East. As USTR General Counsel, she played a lead role in devising US litigation strategy in the critical early years of WTO dispute resolution.

Ms. Esserman also served as the decision maker in literally hundreds of antidumping and countervailing duty cases as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration. During her tenure, she played a lead role in developing comprehensive US antidumping and countervailing duty trade legislation and regulations implementing the WTO Uruguay Round Agreement, which govern US trade cases today. She was also the administrator of the Foreign Trade Zones program. As Acting General Counsel of Commerce, she counseled the Secretary of Commerce and senior Department heads on a wide range of issues, including trade laws, regulatory reform, litigation strategy, ethics, Freedom of Information, congressional reviews and oversight, intellectual property, and procurement issues.

Ms. Esserman is a frequent speaker and writer on trade law and policy, WTO, and India issues. 

Prior to her government service, Ms. Esserman was a partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP where she focused on international trade litigation and policy. 

Noteworthy

• Received a #1 Ranking in Chambers Asia 2009 - 2011: Asia's Leading Lawyers for Business; Asia-wide: International Trade
• Ranked, Chambers USA 2006 - 2011: America's Leading Business Lawyers; International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (Nationwide)
• Noted, Chambers Global 2006 - 2011: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business; International Trade/WTO: Global
• Listed, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers; Trade & Customs
• Recommended, Legal 500 US; Litigation: International Trade
• Listed in Washington, DC Super Lawyers 2007 - 2010
• Euromoney's Expert Guide to the World's Leading International Trade Lawyers (2007, 2008, 2010)
• Euromoney's Expert Guide to the Best of the Best USA (2008, 2010)
• Euromoney's Expert Guide to Women in Business Law (2010)

Select News & Events

• Steptoe Again Named an International Trade Group of the Year by Law360
• US-India Relations Briefing for Senate India Caucus, Council on Foreign Relations, October 17, 2011
• Deepening US-India Economic Engagement, NBR Interview, September 27, 2011
• Steptoe Receives 67 Individual Mentions from Best Lawyers
• Steptoe Receives 13 Practice, 45 Individual Mentions in Legal 500 United States 2011
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers Honors Steptoe Attorneys
• Steptoe Receives 10 Practice, 24 Individual Mentions in Chambers Global 2011
• Steptoe Receives 18 Practice, 56 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2011

Selected Publications

• Rethinking the WTO, Forbes Magazine
  September 4, 2008
• New Equations in a New World, OutlookBusiness (India)
  April 5, 2008
• "The Appellate Body, the WTO Dispute Settlement System, and the Politics of Multilateralism," The WTO at Ten: The Contribution of the Dispute Settlement System, issued by the WTO, 2006
• The Creative Evolution of World Trade, Financial Times
  August 2005
• The WTO on Trial, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 82, Num.1
  February 2003

Professional Affiliations

• Council on Foreign Relations
• Board of Directors, US-India Business Council
• US Member, Aspen Institute, US-India Track II Dialogue on Climate Change and Energy
• Board of Managerial Trustees, International Association of Women Judges
• Board of Directors, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
• Wellesley College Business Leadership Council