WASHINGTON– LAWFUEL – Law News, Law Jobs –Sept. 18, 2006–International law firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, which was recently recognized by prestigious Chamber’s legal review for the growth of it’s Global Trade Group, has added three experienced trade attorneys to its practice. Duane W. Layton, Sydney H. Mintzer and Jeffery C. Lowe have joined the firm’s Global Trade Group in the Washington, D.C. office. All three come from Miller & Chevalier and bring more than 40 years combined experience in dealing with all aspects of trade policy, disputes and litigation.
“We could not be more thrilled by the addition of this experienced team to our firm,” commented Peter Scher, leader of Mayer Brown’s Global Trade Group. “They bring a proven track record of success and extensive knowledge of international trade law, and will complement our group’s strengths in the global trade arena.”
Mr. Layton, 52, was the head of that firm’s International Trade Litigation Group. He is a former Senior Counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., where he received numerous honors and awards, including “Attorney of the Year.” He has one of the most diversified trade practices in the field today, representing both petitioners and respondents in antidumping and other trade remedy actions in the U.S. and around the world. He routinely represents U.S. and other exporters in Mexican, Brazilian, Chinese, and other foreign trade remedy proceedings. Indeed, in China, Layton has represented more exporters charged with “dumping” in that country, than any other non-Chinese lawyer.
Mr. Mintzer has almost a decade of experience counseling clients on trade matters, focusing on trade policy and disputes ranging from market access barriers to global duty reduction strategies. Mr. Mintzer represents clients in antidumping litigation in both U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. He has worked on numerous antidumping cases before the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Federal Circuit, and NAFTA panels. Mr. Mintzer also has advised numerous clients on litigation at the World Trade Organization.
Mr. Lowe previously served as an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Chief Counsel for Import Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, acting as lead Commerce attorney in negotiations toward an international agreement to regulate steel subsidies and in WTO dispute resolution proceedings. Lowe has thirteen years experience both in the public sector and private practice representing clients that face the challenges of an increasingly global economy.
“The Global Trade Practice Group is one of the core strengths of our firm,” said Ken Geller, head of the D.C. office. “It’s rare that a team with such high caliber and experience chooses to move firms and having them on our team will enable us to further grow our practice and offer our clients an even broader depth and breadth of high-quality counsel.”
“Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw is one of the few firms that is doing it right,” said Layton. “They are making a concerted effort to expand their international trade policy practice first and their trade litigation practice second. I’ve been practicing international trade law in Washington for over 20 years and I think they have hit on the right formula. We are extremely excited to join the group.”
In Chambers’ most recent review of law firms throughout the world, the publication noted that “the expansion of Mayer Brown’s international trade practice has made waves in the market as it adds to the number of former senior government officials who have entered private practice. This has created a group that is perfectly placed to provide market access, trade remedy and export control advice.”
Layton, Mintzer, and Lowe join a Mayer, Brown team that now includes numerous former high-ranking officials from the United States, the European Union and China, including, former United States Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative, Mickey Kantor; James Jochum, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration and Export Administration under President Bush; Peter Scher, the former U.S. Special Trade Negotiator for Agriculture and former Chief of Staff at USTR and the Commerce Department; Catherine Novelli, the former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa; Marguerite Trossevin, the former Deputy Chief Trade Counsel for the U.S. and Wenzhao (Connie) Wang, a former official of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Founded in 1881, Mayer Brown is among the largest law firms in the world with more than 1,400 lawyers practicing in seven U.S. cities (Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, and Washington) and six European cities (Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, London, and Paris). For more information on the firm, visit our website: www.mayerbrown.com.
