Patrick M. Norton

Partner

• pnorton@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington 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 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.  Mr. Norton has supervised several worldwide anti-corruption investigations and more than 20 investigations in Asia alone.

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.

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 state­owned 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

• 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
• The FCPA Risk in China, Deloitte Seminar on Doing Business in China, September 24, 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

• Private Investor Frederic Bourke Sentenced to Prison and $1 Million Fine
  November 16, 2009, International Law Advisory
• 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
• Co-Author, "International Payment Methods"
  2003, International Lawyer's Deskbook, 2nd ed.
• Co-Author, "China Invokes the WTO 'Escape Clause'"
  May 2003, Topics in Chinese Law
• China's New Antidumping Rules: Battleground for a New Protectionism?
  February 2002, China Law & Practice, Vol. 16, No. 1

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)