LEGAL AND REGULATORY ADVICE
We help governments, companies and trade associations understand which international rules apply to them and what rights those rules give them.
We then show how to use those rules to reduce risks, find policy space and open up new opportunities.
This can also save money, by avoiding unnecessary fines and audits and by capturing the full benefits of free trade agreements and other international instruments.
Our advice draws on direct experience of how trade and investment rules are negotiated, applied and enforced.
OUR APPROACH
We start from the questions that matter to you: which rules apply, what rights they give you, and what you can do with them.
Depending on the matter, you receive a legal opinion, a compliance review, a strategy memorandum, or ongoing advice through a negotiation or procedure.
Where a matter requires local counsel, we coordinate with trusted law firms in the jurisdiction concerned.
What we advise on
Our advice covers trade, investment, competition and public policy, and the points where they meet health, labour and environmental policy.
International Trade
Trade remedies, for exporters facing anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard investigations abroad, and for domestic industries seeking relief against dumped, subsidized or surging imports.
Market access: tariffs, quotas, technical and sanitary barriers, and your rights under WTO and free trade agreements.
Customs and origin: rules of origin, customs valuation and the conditions for preferential treatment.
Investment and Competition
Investment: the protection offered by investment treaties, the regulatory framework of the host country, and the risk of investor-State disputes.
Competition: how new and evolving competition regimes affect the way companies operate, merge and set prices.
Public Policy and Dispute Prevention
Public policy: where trade rules meet health, labour, environmental and intellectual property policy, and how to engage governments and international organizations on these issues.
Dispute prevention, conciliation and mediation: identifying legal risks early and resolving differences through consultation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation or good offices, drawing on Marco Molina's published work on alternative dispute resolution at the WTO.
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Do you need clarity on which international rules apply to your business and whether you are using the benefits of trade agreements?
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Are tariff or non-tariff barriers limiting your access to a market?
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Are you the target of an anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard measure, or does your industry need protection against unfair imports?
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Are you considering an investment in another country and need to understand the legal framework and protections?
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Are disruptions in global value chains forcing you to rethink sourcing, origin or compliance?
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Would you rather resolve a difference before it becomes a dispute?
If a dispute arises, see Dispute Resolution. To anticipate regulatory change, see Strategy.