Wiley’s Stephanie Bell Profiled by Law360 as an International Trade ‘Rising Star’

July 8, 2021

Washington, DC – Stephanie M. Bell, partner in Wiley’s International Trade Practice, was profiled by Law360 as a 2021 “Rising Star” in International Trade. Ms. Bell was one of the top five lawyers in her practice area recognized on this distinguished list of attorneys under 40 from around the country whose “legal accomplishments transcend their age.”

Ms. Bell “has earned a reputation as a steadfast advocate for her clients in industries that span the globe … in cases that have far-reaching impact,” Law360 said in a July 1 article, citing her successes on behalf of U.S. manufacturers of diamond sawblades, wood flooring, and hardwood plywood, among other domestic industries.

As noted in the article, Ms. Bell has worked on numerous complex cases involving a variety of issues with global implications. “Each case presents its own challenges given the nature of the product and industry at issue, and so figuring out how to address those issues always makes the work interesting,” she told Law360.

In the hardwood plywood case, Ms. Bell represents a coalition of domestic manufacturers that that have been harmed by dumped and subsidized imports from China. In 2017, she helped persuade the U.S. Department of Commerce to issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese hardwood plywood imports, and she has had an instrumental role since then in ensuring aggressive enforcement of those duties.

“One of the things that makes international trade such a rewarding area is how quickly and directly the work can make an impact for your clients,” Ms. Bell said, noting that the duties have helped domestic manufacturers by creating a more level playing field in the U.S. market.

Asked what she enjoys the most about her work, Ms. Bell said two aspects, in particular, are among her favorites. “First, the intersection of the law, politics and economics means that each case raises interesting and multidimensional issues and requires you to flex various intellectual muscles,” she said. “Second, with each case, you get to learn so much about how a product is made and how an industry works. I always find gaining that new and in-depth knowledge about such a variety of things to be very rewarding.”

Ms. Bell noted that international trade also intersects with many industries and areas of law.

“International trade is already such a multifaceted practice that overlaps with so many other areas,” she said. “I think that you are going to start seeing international trade issues bleed into other areas, and vice versa, more and more over the next decade.”

To read Law360’s profile of Ms. Bell, please click here (subscription required).