Patrick M. Norton

Partner

• pnorton@steptoe.com
• vCard
• London Office

Patrick M. Norton is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the International Department. Mr. Norton has significant experience counseling clients on anti-corruption matters, and is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on the FCPA and its application in companies’ China and Asian operations, having spent six years in China helping clients address anti-corruption issues. 

Mr. Norton has supervised several worldwide anti-corruption investigations and more than 20 investigations in Asia alone. He has helped companies establish compliance policies and procedures and advised companies on all aspects of their Asian operations including conducting due diligence and implementing internal compliance policies.  

Mr. Norton has extensive experience in international commercial arbitration and mediation, international anti­corruption investigations, litigation, trade disputes, and regulatory matters. He has been lead counsel in over 100 international arbitrations, lawsuits, and trade disputes involving Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and has served as an arbitrator in international disputes under AAA, ICC, and UNCITRAL rules. 

Prior to joining Steptoe, Mr. Norton practiced law for more than 20 years with other leading law firms, including more than six years in China. Mr. Norton also served in the US State Department as Assistant Legal Adviser for East Asia and later for the Near East and South Asia. He represented the United States in numerous international negotiations and litigation. For these services, Mr. Norton received the highest presidential honors awarded to senior US government employees.

Mr. Norton is a frequent speaker and author on FCPA-related topics. He has co-chaired all three of ACI's annual anti-corruption conferences in China.

Representative Matters

• Supervised several worldwide anti­corruption investigations for U.S. and U.K. companies.
• Conducted numerous FCPA investigations for US companies doing business in China or elsewhere in Asia.
• Served as arbitrator under ICC, AAA, and UNCITRAL rules in the U.S., Europe, and Asia
• Represented the U.S., European, Chinese, and Japanese clients in arbitrations around the world
• Advised the Japanese steel industry in three Chinese trade remedy investigations of steel imports.
• Advised foreign receivers of a $250 million real estate development project in China regarding litigation in both China and the Caribbean, and related administrative and arbitration proceedings.
• Represented U.S. company in the sale of Chinese breweries to a Chinese state owned enterprise.
• Represented foreign parties in CIETAC arbitrations involving tens of millions of dollars in trade disputes.

Noteworthy

• Listed in Experts in Commercial Arbitration (Legal Media Group 2009)
• Listed in Who's Who Legal for Commercial Arbitration in 2007-2008

Select News & Events

• "Washington Briefing on China's State Secrets Law," US China Business Council, September 21, 2010
• Bloomberg Businessweek Quotes Patrick Norton on Antibribery Laws
• Steptoe & Johnson LLP Partners to Speak at AmCham China / US China Business Council Breakfast Briefing, May 10, 2010
• “Conducting Effective FCPA Due Diligence to Expose Corruption Risks” at the 4th National Symposium on Mergers & Acquisitions in China, February 25, 2010
• Bulletproof Blog Interviews Pat Norton About Global Compliance Challenges in 2010
• Due Diligence and Compliance Risk Management in the Middle East Webinar, December 3, 2009
• Understanding European Anti-Corruption Law and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Webinar, December 2, 2009, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Pat Norton Spoke on FCPA Compliance in China for US-China Business Council Webinar
• Managing International Regulatory Risks in M&A, November 13, 2008
• Steptoe FCPA Alert Published by Competition Law360
• Patrick Norton Joins Steptoe's International Department
• 18 Steptoe Attorneys Selected for Who's Who Legal

Selected Publications

• FCPA Year in Review 2010
  March 15, 2011
• Hospitality Law Advisory - Allegations of Corrupt Practices Bring Hotel Company Under FCPA Scrutiny
  March 4, 2011
• FCPA Compliance in China
  Summer 2008, Journal of Securities and Futures Law
• FCPA Compliance in China
  2007, 40, 137 Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation
• Informal Dispute Settlement Approaches, in M. Moser (ed.) 19
  2007, Managing Business in Disputes in Today's China
• The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Dilemma
  November/December 2006, China Business Review at 22
• Chinese Trade and Investment Disputes: Offshore Options
  2004, Sweet & Maxwell, Arbitration in China: A Practical Guide
• Co-Author, "Mergers and Acquisitions in China"
  2003, London, Global Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook

More Publications »

Professional Affiliations

• Member, Council on Foreign Relations (2007)
• Member, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (2006–present)
• Member, Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce: Board of Governors (2000–2001); Vice-Chair, Legal Committee (2000–2001)
• American Bar Association: Section of International Law and Practice, Council Member (1996–1999), Publication Chair (1996–1999), Budget Officer (1998–1999); Council Member (2007)
• Inter-Pacific Bar Association (1989–present)