International Trade

  • August 14, 2024

    Sanctioned Ghanaian Co. Says Law Firm's Fees Too High

    An African energy company has slammed international arbitration specialty law firm Three Crowns LLP in Texas federal court for claiming nearly $200,000 in fees after the company was sanctioned for lying to a Ghanaian court.

  • August 14, 2024

    Air Force Didn't Vet Trade Agreement Compliance On IT Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has sustained an HP Inc. unit's protest over a U.S. Air Force information technology deal, saying the winning bidder didn't properly show whether monitors it offered complied with the Trade Agreements Act.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Fla. Judge 'Misread' Precedent In Elfbar Row

    The maker of the popular Elfbar vape will get another shot at upending a court-imposed order banning it from selling under the "Elf" mark, the Federal Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying the district judge who ordered the injunction "misread" precedent and relied on a "deficient" legal analysis.

  • August 14, 2024

    Army Analyst Cops To Selling Military Secrets To China

    A U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst has pled guilty to charges that he sold classified American military secrets to China for $42,000.

  • August 14, 2024

    Israel Boycott Bid On Pittsburgh Ballot Draws Challenges

    A proposed ballot question calling for the city of Pittsburgh to boycott any work with or tax credits for entities that do business with or in Israel during its war in Gaza would be invalid because it violates state and federal laws, according to petitions filed in Pennsylvania state court by a Jewish organization, local clergy and the city controller.

  • August 14, 2024

    Baker McKenzie Adds Tax Expert To Monterrey Office

    Baker McKenzie has added a partner from Turanzas Bravo & Ambrosi to its Monterrey, Mexico, office who brings more than 15 years of experience practicing international trade law with a focus on taxation and customs-related litigation.

  • August 14, 2024

    Feds Nab US-Iran Citizen On Aircraft Parts Charges

    A dual U.S.-Iranian citizen was charged in D.C. federal court with procuring American aircraft parts and attempting to send them to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.

  • August 14, 2024

    Crowell & Moring International Hires IT Foundation Leader

    Although Nigel Cory's profession as an international trade expert might have come as a surprise to his parents, their work was a catalyst for what became his decades-long fascination with working on trade issues, he told Law360 Pulse in an interview on Tuesday about his recent move to Crowell & Moring LLP's public policy affiliate.

  • August 13, 2024

    Texas Court Affirms Sole Arbitrator In Oilfield Machinery Fight

    A Texas appeals court affirmed on Tuesday that arbitration over more than $1 million owed on an invoice for oilfield machinery should be heard by a sole arbitrator, ruling that a subsequent agreement between a Mexican drill rig manufacturer and a Houston company trumped the wording in their initial contract.

  • August 13, 2024

    No Cause To Revisit Maple Leaf Standard Yet, Fed. Circ. Says

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday declined a solar industry group's push to review a decades-old, "breathtakingly deferential" precedent a panel invoked in a decision affirming the president's Trade Act authority to make existing solar safeguard tariffs more trade restrictive.

  • August 13, 2024

    Poland Inks Estimated $12M Deal For Boeing Military Copters

    Boeing announced Tuesday that it inked a deal to sell 96 Apache combat helicopters to Poland for its military, formalizing an estimated $12 billion transaction approved last year.

  • August 13, 2024

    Shipping Co.'s Cleaning Services Taxable, Wash. Court Affirms

    A Washington state court properly denied a shipping company's request for a refund of sales tax paid on cleaning services for its shipping containers because the containers weren't integral to the ships' use, a state appellate court affirmed.

  • August 13, 2024

    3 International Trade Cases To Watch: Midyear Report

    The Federal Circuit is on track to issue its final word in challenges to duties on Chinese products and a lumber dispute seeking the court's guidance despite an ongoing trade pact arbitration, while the World Trade Organization's dispute tribunal is hashing out Brussels' beef over Colombia's tariffs on frozen french fries. Here, Law360 highlights three cases to watch during the second half of this year.

  • August 12, 2024

    Suspect In Smuggling For 'Putin's War Machine' Extradited To US

    A Russian-German national has been extradited to the U.S. from Cyprus and now faces criminal charges in New York federal court for allegedly smuggling American-sourced microelectronics to supply foreign manufacturers with parts to help arm Russia in its war against Ukraine.

  • August 12, 2024

    Judge Won't DQ Asst. US Atty In Standard Chartered FCA Case

    A New York federal judge on Monday declined to disqualify an assistant United States attorney from a long-dismissed False Claims Act suit against Standard Chartered Bank, calling the whistleblower's arguments for disqualification meritless "to the point where they verge on vexatious and frivolous."

  • August 12, 2024

    Top 4 Trade Policy Developments Of 2024: Midyear Report

    International trade continued its ascent as a national security and industrial policy tool this year, including through new sanctions aimed at isolating Russia, updated tariffs on Chinese goods, new solar import policies and an expanded definition of unfair subsidies. Here, Law360 takes a look back at the top trade policy developments of 2024 so far.

  • August 12, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Co. Can't Patent Coke Zero's Secret Sweetener

    A Federal Circuit panel found Monday that the company that developed the artificial sweetener used in Coke Zero can't patent its formula after it has already touched the lips of customers even if they kept the recipe secret, something that's consistent with "precedent going back to the 1800s."

  • August 09, 2024

    9th Circ. Wipes Out BNSF's Retaliation Win

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday overturned BNSF Railway Co.'s win in a late conductor's retaliation suit on Friday, saying the railroad failed to show it would've terminated the worker regardless of his refusal to stop conducting a brake test — even though the employer has insisted he was mainly fired for insubordination and misreporting his time card.

  • August 09, 2024

    Bond Denied For Ex-Ecuador Official Convicted In Bribery Plot

    A Florida federal judge denied bond to Ecuador's ex-comptroller Friday after a jury convicted him earlier this year of laundering more than $12 million in bribes received in a construction scandal, saying the record would not support releasing him from custody before he is sentenced.

  • August 09, 2024

    Ex-Mozambique Finance Minister Convicted For $2B Scheme

    Mozambique's former finance minister was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges in connection with his role in the $2 billion "tuna bonds" scandal, prosecutors announced.

  • August 09, 2024

    DC Circ. Makes Case For Restarting FERC Gas Policy Revamp

    The D.C. Circuit's recent wipeout of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals of gas infrastructure projects is a sign that the agency should restart a stalled effort to update its decades-old pipeline approval policy, FERC watchers say.

  • August 09, 2024

    Fla. Forex Trader Gets 24 Years For $57M Ponzi Scheme

    A purported foreign exchange trader has been hit with a 24-year prison sentence and a $57 million forfeiture order after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a Ponzi scheme that took in over 1,100 would-be investors.

  • August 09, 2024

    3 Notable Trade Disputes Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    This year the U.S. Supreme Court refused its last outstanding challenge to the president’s tariff power, a split Federal Circuit panel expanded decades-old duties on plumbing pipes, and the first North American trade pact labor panel tossed Washington’s claims. Here, Law360 revisits the most notable international trade cases of 2024 so far.

  • August 09, 2024

    Nigeria Must Face $65M Award Suit, DC Circ. Rules

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday affirmed a ruling greenlighting litigation to enforce a $65 million arbitration award issued to a Chinese company after it was ousted from Nigeria, saying the country's sovereign immunity defense fails because it agreed to arbitrate the dispute.

  • August 08, 2024

    ITC Rips Google's Bid To Wield Chevron's End In Sonos Row

    The U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday joined Sonos in urging the Federal Circuit to reject Google's argument that the end of so-called Chevron deference means the appellate court should review precedent on the ITC's patent powers, calling the dispute a "poor vehicle" for such a review.

Expert Analysis

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

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    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • The Effects Of New 10-Year Limitation On Key Sanctions Laws

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    Recently enacted emergency appropriations legislation, doubling the statute of limitations for civil and criminal economic sanctions violations, has significant implications for internal records retention, corporate transaction due diligence and government investigations, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • FEPA Cases Are Natural Fit For DOJ's Fraud Section

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent announcement that its Fraud Section would have exclusive jurisdiction over the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — a new law that criminalizes “demand side” foreign bribery — makes sense, given its experience navigating the political and diplomatic sensitivities of related statutes, say James Koukios and Rachel Davidson Raycraft at MoFo.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Proposed Semiconductor Buy Ban May Rattle Supply Chains

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    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recent proposed rulemaking clarifies plans to ban government purchases of semiconductors from certain Chinese companies, creating uncertainty around how contractors will be able to adjust supply chains that are already burdened and contracted to capacity, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 2 Oil Trader FCPA Pleas Highlight Fine-Reduction Factors

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    Recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements with Gunvor and Trafigura — the latest actions in a yearslong sweep of the commodities trading industry — reveal useful data points related to U.S. Department of Justice policies on cooperation credit and past misconduct, say Michael DeBernardis and Laura Perkins at Hughes Hubbard.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • Corporate Insurance Considerations For Trafficking Claims

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    With the surge in litigation over liability under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, corporate risk managers and in-house counsel need to ensure that appropriate insurance coverage is in place to provide for defense and indemnity against this liability, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • 5 Lessons From Ex-Vitol Trader's FCPA Conviction

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    The recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering conviction of former Vitol oil trader Javier Aguilar in a New York federal court provides defense takeaways on issues ranging from the definition of “domestic concern” to jury instruction strategy, says attorney Andrew Feldman.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • AI And Trade Controls: A Guide To Expanding Restrictions

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    With restrictions on trade related to commodities, software and technology integral to high-performing artificial intelligence capabilities expected to expand — particularly between the U.S. and China — companies must carefully consider the export classification of the items they design, produce or procure, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • 4 Takeaways From Biden's Crypto Mining Divestment Order

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    A May 13 executive order prohibiting the acquisition of real estate by a foreign investor on national security grounds — an enforcement first — shows the importance of understanding how the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States might profile cross-border transactions, even those that are non-notified, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Insurance Types That May Help Cos. After Key Bridge Collapse

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    Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, businesses that depend on the bridge, the Port of Baltimore and related infrastructure for shipment and distribution of cargo should understand which common types of first-party insurance coverage may provide recoveries for financial losses, say Bert Wells and Richard Lewis at Reed Smith.

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