Wiley Rein Named an “International Trade Group of the Year” by Law360 for Third Consecutive Year

For the third year in a row, Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice has been named an “International Trade Group of the Year” by Law360.

The team of 22 attorneys and five non-attorney professionals “has established itself as a force in trade remedy and emerging markets issues,” the publication said in a January 30 profile. The group earned its Law360 recognition with wins such as helping U.S. manufacturers score approvals for duties on solar and wind-tower products imported from China.

"What we're really proud of is that we keep Americans employed," said practice chair Alan H. Price. "You can't have any economic recovery if you don't have jobs in the United States."

Companies turn to Wiley Rein because of its knack for scoring high-profile victories in a variety of forums, Mr. Price and International Trade partner Timothy C. Brightbill told Law360 in an interview. “We have a record of successful results in front of the agencies and courtrooms but also when it comes to working behind the scenes on Capitol Hill or with policymakers,” Mr. Brightbill said.

There aren't many firms that can provide U.S.-based industries and producers with the kind of global strategic advice, knowledge of Capitol Hill and agency expertise that Wiley Rein offers, Mr. Price said. Because the firm doesn't have its own commercial relationship within China, it's one of the few where aggrieved companies can go to truly deal with China trade problems, he added.

After filing the first anti-dumping and countervailing duty litigation in the renewable energy sector in 2011—on behalf of SolarWorld Industries America Inc.—Wiley Rein this year persuaded U.S. regulators to impose duties on Chinese solar producers.

“It was really the survival of the [U.S. solar] industry that was at stake in this case,” Mr. Brightbill told Law360. “The solar industry is not out of the woods yet, but without these cases, there wouldn't be a solar manufacturing industry here in the United States.”

The firm had also filed petitions on behalf of a coalition of U.S. wind tower producers, seeking antidumping investigations into Chinese and Vietnamese imports of utility scale wind towers. The investigations led U.S. regulators to levy duties on the products from both countries.

"One of the largest Chinese producers of wind towers is actually a Chinese military shipbuilder which is essentially owned by the central government and has been executing a policy of viewing renewable energy as a strategic resource and basically giving its products away to capture the market and drive everyone else out of business," Mr. Price told Law360.

Wiley Rein's team was one of five International Trade groups selected by a team of Law360 editors who reviewed nearly 550 submissions.