Former Hill Trade Advisor Joins WilmerHale, Bolsters Congressional and WTO Capabilities

• 6.2.2011

WilmerHale is pleased to announce that David Ross, former International Trade Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee (Republican staff), has joined the firm as counsel in the Regulatory and Government Affairs Department and a member of the International Trade, Investment and Market Access Group. Mr. Ross’ staff experience on the key Senate committee responsible for trade, and his prior experience in the Executive Branch at both the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of Commerce, bring strong additional legislative and trade litigation and policy capabilities to the firm’s top-ranked trade practice.

“David brings an incredible and unusual breadth and depth of experience in the international trade field, and we are delighted he has decided to join us,” said former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, senior international partner and chair of the firm’s International Trade Group.

Prior to his service as Senate staff, Mr. Ross was associate general counsel at USTR and attorney-advisor in the Office of the Chief Counsel for Import Administration, Department of Commerce. In these roles, he helped formulate Congressional policy and legislation on trade; advised on trade disputes around the world; represented the United States in dispute settlement proceedings at the World Trade Organization (WTO); negotiated free trade agreements; and helped implement and defend the US trade remedy laws.

“David’s Executive and Legislative Branch experience complements the firm’s already strong regulatory and policy capabilities, and will be invaluable to our clients,” said Robert Novick, chair of the firm’s Regulatory and Government Affairs Department.

In his position with the Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Ross advised committee ranking member Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Republican staff on trade and economic issues, including services trade, intellectual property, investment, currency/exchange rates, climate, labor, trade adjustment assistance and WTO dispute settlement. He provided policy guidance on trade and economic matters involving trade with China, Europe and the Russian Federation, and negotiated and drafted trade legislation on issues falling within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction.

In his role as USTR associate general counsel, Mr. Ross was responsible for legal matters involving services and financial services, subsidies, antidumping measures and safeguards. He served as lead counsel for the United States in numerous dispute settlement proceedings before the WTO. Mr. Ross also served as the chief US lawyer in the negotiations of the free trade agreement with Chile, and as the services and financial services lawyer in free trade agreement negotiations with Australia, Morocco, Bahrain and Oman.

Mr. Ross received his JD and LLM from Duke University School of Law, where he was staff editor of the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law, and his BA in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.