Lawyer Overview

Bob Cassidy joined WilmerHale in 1983 and has been leader of the firm's International Practice Group and the Trade Group. He served as General Counsel of the Office of the US Trade Representative from 1979-1981 and International Trade Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Finance from 1975-1979. As General Counsel of USTR, Mr. Cassidy was the senior legal officer of the US government responsible for issues arising under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. He oversaw US implementation of the agreements reached in the Tokyo Round of Multinational Trade Negotiations and was the lead US negotiator with Japan on market access issues, including procurement by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation. As International Trade Counsel to the Finance Committee, Mr. Cassidy was a creator of the procedures for consideration of legislation implementing trade agreements—procedures known today as the “fast track” or “trade promotion authority” procedures. He was also a primary architect of the modern antidumping and countervailing duty statutes enacted in the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.

Practice

Mr. Cassidy focuses on legal issues raised by cross-border business transactions, including antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, economic sanctions, export controls and customs issues. He is experienced in devising strategies for using trade law procedures, such as the antidumping laws, to achieve business objectives and in resolving disputes between companies and the US government arising from sanctions, export controls and customs laws.

Professional Activities

Mr. Cassidy has been Counselor and Government Affairs Officer of the Section of International Law and Practice of the American Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Committee on International Trade Law of the Section. He was a member of the first panel to decide an appeal of a Department of Commerce antidumping determination under Chapter 19 the US-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

Honors and Awards

• Listed as a leader in the field of International Tade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy in the 2008 edition of Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers
• Recognized for his exceptional international trade practice in the 2006 and 2007 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
• Consistently selected by peers for inclusion in the 2006 and 2008 editions of Best Lawyers in America in the area of international trade and finance law
• Recognized as a leader in trade and customs law in multiple editions of Who's Who Legal, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers

Areas of Practice

• International Trade, Investment and Market Access

West Practice Categories

Business & Trade, International Law, International Transactions

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia

Education

• Georgetown University, 1977
  LL.M.
• University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1973
  J.D.
• Johns Hopkins University, 1968
  B.A.

Address

1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Phones

+1 202 663 6740 (Business Phone)

Faxes

+1 202 663 6363 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.wilmerhale.com/