Trade Policy & Negotiations

Trade policy is becoming an ever more essential component of business strategy. Whether this means opening new markets, establishing favorable rules of trade, or using these rules to protect against unfair competition or blunt the impact of adverse trade measures, companies are increasingly considering trade policy as a means of advancing their interests. Steptoe has built a well-earned reputation as a leading firm for assisting companies to develop and execute sophisticated trade policy strategies to improve their competitive position and market access and to minimize risk arising from international trade developments.

The Steptoe trade team possesses a wealth of experience in international trade and investment policy and politics, as well as an understanding of how to leverage trade developments to advance clients' interests. Steptoe distinguishes itself by combining this trade policy and political experience with technical legal expertise in a broad range of trade laws and litigation, international trade agreements (including WTO and free trade agreements) and negotiating contexts. By integrating our political and trade policy knowledge with our deep trade law and litigation experience, we have achieved positive results for our clients in some of the most challenging trade disputes, trade negotiations, and market access efforts.

Steptoe’s trade policy practice is led by Ambassador Susan G. Esserman, who served as Deputy US Trade Representative (USTR) and USTR General Counsel, and in prominent trade policy positions at the US Commerce Department, and by Jeff Weiss, who also served in senior positions at USTR, Commerce, and the White House. Other key practice members include Eric Emerson, the former co-head of the firm's International Trade and Investment Group, and partners in our Brussels office who contribute extensive experience in EU trade policymaking. Attorneys in the firm’s trade policy practice work closely with the professionals in our Government Affairs and Public Policy practice – who bring decades of bipartisan political experience and a wide network of contacts –to achieve clients' goals.

Because every company's needs are different, we tailor each strategy to our client's individual priorities and budget. This strategy might involve advocating for a company's interests before the key agencies involved in trade policy, or it might require a broader engagement plan, including advocacy with other Executive Branch agencies and/or members of Congress. Where appropriate and helpful to the client's goals, we work with foreign governments and stakeholders to build effective multinational strategies. Where needed, we call upon a strong network of economic consultants with whom we have worked on past matters.

Noteworthy

Chambers Global

Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Global Market Leaders (2008-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, (The Elite), US (2019-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, US (2020-2025)
Chambers Global, Disputes, International & Cross-Border Capabilities, US (2019-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, US (2020-2025)
Chambers Global, International & Cross-Border Disputes (International Firms), China (2021-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO (International Firms), China (2019-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2019-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe-wide (2019-2025)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2017)

Chambers Asia-Pacific & Greater China Region

Chambers Greater China Region, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms) (2022-2024)
Chambers Greater China Region, International Trade/WTO (International Firms) (2022-2024)
Chambers Asia-Pacific, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2009-2025)

Chambers Europe

Chambers Europe, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2025)

Chambers USA

Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, Nationwide (2017-2024)
Chambers USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Nationwide (2017-2024)
Chambers USA, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, Nationwide (2017-2024)
Chambers USA, International Trade, Nationwide (2005-2016)
Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Enforcement, Nationwide (2022)

Legal 500

Legal 500 US, Government: Government Contracts (2024)
Legal 500 US, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (2023-2024)
Legal 500 US, International Trade: Customs, Export Controls, & Economic Sanctions (2023-2024)
Legal 500 US, International Trade: CFIUS (2023-2024)
Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2007-2022, 2024)
Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2010-2025)
Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: Public International Law (2010-2025)
Legal 500 EMEA, Customs, Trade, WTO & Anti-Dumping, Belgium (2011-2019, 2022)

Law360

Law360, International Trade Group of the Year (2010-2013, 2015, 2019)

Global Arbitration Review

Global Arbitration Review, "International arbitration practice that impressed in the past year," (2016)
Global Arbitration Review, GAR 100 (2017-2023)

Global Investigations Review

Global Investigations Review (GIR) 100, Top 30 Firms for Investigations Worldwide (2015-2024)

WorldECR

WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018, 2021), Sanctions Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017);
WorldECR, Export Controls, Law Firm of the Year, USA (2015-2016), Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017), Runner-Up Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018)
WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year Runner-Up, Rest of the World (2021)

Asia Legal Business

ALB China Awards, International Firm of the Year: International Trade (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2022-2024)
ALB China Awards, Regulatory Compliance Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2022-2024)
ALB Hong Kong Awards, Regulation and Investigations Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2020-2021, 2023)
ALB Japan Awards, Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2023-2024)
ALB Korea Awards, Korea Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (2022-2023)

China Business Law Journal

China Business Law Award, International Trade (2013-2023)
China Business Law Award, Corporate Compliance (2019-2023)
China Business Law Award, Government and public policy (2022)
China Business Law Award, Anti-Bribery & Compliance (2015, 2018)

China Law & Practice

China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Dispute Resolution, Honorable Mention (2024)
China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Trade Award (2016, 2018-2020, 2022); Shortlisted (2021)
China Law & Practice, Shortlisted, International Firm of the Year: Regulatory & Compliance (2018, 2021-2022)

Steptoe has been involved for decades in the most high-profile and complex trade disputes, including those involving solar and polysilicon, steel, lumber, uranium, chemicals, shipbuilding, motorcycles, and aluminum. Especially in such complex, high-stakes matters, integrating the policy, political, and technical legal dimensions of our engagements positions us to achieve our clients' goals that cannot be attained through litigation alone.

Steptoe has assisted clients in achieving successful resolutions of some of the most contentious disputes in the field. For example, we have helped clients attain positive results in antidumping and countervailing duty settlements and suspensions agreements involving lumber, sugar, and uranium trade.

Together with our government affairs and public policy practice, we work to ensure that emerging legislation establishes or maintains favorable trade and investment conditions for our clients. We closely monitor and advise our clients on legislative developments in international trade policy and remain prepared to advocate before key decision makers on behalf of our clients’ diverse interests.

We bring to bear a broad range of experiences in developing market access strategies tailored to our clients' goals and the special regulatory and cultural environment of the specific markets of interest. We are particularly well-positioned to assist clients in enhancing market access in major foreign markets in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, where we have worked closely with government officials and stakeholders. Steptoe has achieved strong results for clients seeking new and expanded access to key markets in Asia (including China, India, Korea, and Japan), the EU, and Brazil.

We have extensively advised governments and companies with respect to WTO, free trade agreement, and investment treaty negotiations. Our most extensive engagement in this area has been advising the South Korean government in the Korea-US and Korea-EU free trade agreement negotiations and implementation, as well as in negotiations for international investment agreements. The Steptoe trade team also assists governments and private companies to address a variety of complex and changing negotiating contexts and political dynamics, such as in regard to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In advising companies on negotiations with foreign governments, we bring to bear insights from negotiating experience arising from former government service.

Steptoe has advised governments in numerous WTO disputes and discussions and has counseled governments on how to utilize technical-level WTO fora to secure favorable terms of trade.

Professionals

Renato Antonini

Renato Antonini is the managing partner of Steptoe's Brussels office.For over 20 years Renato Antonini has represented clients on global trade legal and regulatory issues, in particular advising on EU...

Partner

Trade Remedies, WTO Disputes, EU Trade, Export Controls

Brussels
+32 2 605 0505

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Nicole Arellano-Brillembourg

Nicole Arellano-Brillembourg focuses her practice on international trade matters, including antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) proceedings before the US Department of Commerce (DOC) and...

Attorney

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs, Economic Sanctions

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 3035

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Mert E. Arkan

Mert Arkan advises clients on international trade matters, with a particular focus on antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) proceedings. Mert has represented both domestic and foreign...

Associate

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 1339

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Alexandra Baj

Alexandra Baj heads Steptoe's International Trade and Regulatory Compliance group. She advises on export controls and economic sanctions laws and regulations, anti-corruption investigations and...

Partner

Export Controls, Economic Sanctions, Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6478

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Chloe Baldwin

Chloe Baldwin focuses on international disputes and public international law, and in particular the resolution of international investment disputes. She currently advises sovereign and non-sovereign...

Partner

WTO Disputes, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Investor-State Arbitration, International Arbitration

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 8143

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Yongqing Bao

Yongqing Bao advises governments and private parties on trade and investment issues, strategies for negotiating international trade agreements, and EU law. He is a qualified Chinese lawyer who has...

Senior Associate

Trade Remedies, EU Trade, WTO Disputes, Customs

Brussels
+32 2 626 0598

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Christophe Bondy

Christophe Bondy has practiced international arbitration for over 25 years. He has taken on substantive and leading roles in high-stakes, cutting-edge international commercial and investor-State...

Partner

Investor-State Arbitration, Trade Policy & Negotiations, International Arbitration, Public International Law

London
+44 20 7367 8028

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Sally Brady

Sally Brady is an experienced trade analyst who has worked extensively with analytical and economic techniques and is highly knowledgeable regarding the pressing international trade issues facing...

Trade Analyst

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs

Washington, DC
+1 202 261 0557

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Henry Cao

Henry Cao is an international trade lawyer with an active practice representing domestic and foreign clients on international trade and regulatory compliance matters.Henry's international trade...

Partner

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs, Export Controls

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Eric C. Emerson

For more than 30 years, Eric Emerson has represented clients across a full range of international trade proceedings in the United States, China, and around the world. Eric is individually ranked by...

Partner

Trade Remedies, Trade Policy & Negotiations, Customs, Retail & E-Commerce