International trade law increasingly impacts organisations engaged in the cross-border trade of goods and services. The rules governing international trade are complex and corporations often find themselves having to navigate through an intricate network of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements, and widely-diverging national laws and regulations. Global corporations have also to contend with the growing use of protectionist measures and other barriers to trade, as governments seek to reconcile and accommodate divergent economic interests.
Herbert Smith has extensive experience in advising clients on a wide range of international trade and investment issues. We advise on all legal aspects of barriers to trade and investment in world markets. These include:
- market access strategy
- WTO law concerning trade in goods and services
- WTO dispute settlement
- WTO/EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy law
- customs law
- export controls
- trade related aspects of intellectual property rights
- trade related aspects of environmental law/climate change
- the protection of international investments under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties
At Herbert Smith, we provide a specialist team of partners and associates who have an in-depth understanding of what is a highly technical and constantly evolving area of law. We have acted for and advised governments, industry associations and leading corporations on issues relating to international trade.
Our international trade law practice is also closely integrated with the public international law and investment treaty arbitration practices all of which work together as part of one International Trade and Investment Group.
Our network of European and Asian offices allows us to provide a comprehensive and integrated cross-border service to our internationally-based clients, with partners working in close association where necessary.
Doing business globally
The Herbert Smith international trade and investment group (pdf, 700k)
A legal guide to EU anti-dumping (pdf, 690k)
"The firm has ‘technical competency’ with ‘bags of initiative aimed at solutions’, and is ‘accessible, flexible, and proactive’. The likeable Craig Pouncey heads the team, with assistance from Jacques Buhart"
Legal 500 2009
Lode Van Den Hende is "highly accessible and able to explain complex legal issues to non-lawyers, and ready to go the extra distance for clients"
Chambers Global 2009