GENEVA--(Marketwire - June 7, 2010) - King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, announced today that it will open an office in Geneva, Switzerland -- the firm's seventh office outside the United States -- to expand its leading international trade practice. Joining King & Spalding immediately as a partner is Daniel C. Crosby, a prominent Geneva-based international trade lawyer with extensive experience in World Trade Organization (WTO) matters, international trade and investment policy, and trade remedy proceedings. The firm expects to add other lawyers and consultants to its Geneva office in the coming weeks. The firm is registering its office with the Geneva Registre du Commerce.
"The expansion of our international trade practice into Geneva is another example of our long-term strategy to build the firm through investment in select high-value practices where we are already strong," said Robert D. Hays, Jr., chairman of King & Spalding. "We establish a presence where our clients have a need for our legal expertise. Geneva is a logical extension for our trade group, and we are fortunate to have a lawyer of Daniel Crosby's caliber join the firm."
The Geneva office will focus on WTO counseling and negotiations, WTO dispute settlement proceedings, strategic international trade and investment counseling, and trade remedy proceedings.
Washington, D.C.-based King & Spalding partner Stephen J. Orava will oversee the establishment of the new office and will divide his time between Washington and Geneva.
"As home to the World Trade Organization, Geneva is a key focal point for international trade as well as a regional hub for multinational business operations and a global financial center," Orava said. "Our Geneva office will provide us with additional capabilities to serve our clients in WTO matters and compete at the highest levels of global trade practices through synergies with our U.S. offices and our offices in the London, Frankfurt, Paris, Dubai, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. We welcome Daniel to King & Spalding and are pleased he is leading our trade-related practice in Geneva."
King & Spalding's diversified international trade practice, a leader in representing U.S. industries in U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, also includes representation of U.S. companies in foreign trade remedy proceedings in China, Brazil, Mexico, India and Australia. In addition, the practice handles matters related to WTO and free-trade agreement dispute settlement and counseling, Section 337 litigation, trade compliance, customs and global trade policy. King & Spalding won the Chambers USA Award of excellence in international trade in 2008 and 2009.
Crosby joins King & Spalding from Budin & Partners, a Geneva-based law firm. He has assisted global companies and national governments in trade-related legal matters for more than 17 years, including 10 years in Geneva. He represents a diverse group of Middle Eastern, U.S., European and Russian clients in trade and investment-related matters and has particular expertise in energy-related trade policy issues and market access for a variety of services sectors. Crosby received a J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law at American University, a B.A. degree from Union College, including a year at St. Petersburg State University, where he completed his undergraduate degree. He speaks English, Russian, Hungarian and French.
"King & Spalding has a premier international trade practice, and I am excited to be part of this exceptional team," Crosby said. "The firm's talented lawyers and international platform provide me with the capacity and opportunity to help expand the scope of the trade practice, and I look forward to servicing the firm's clients in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere around the globe."
Crosby is being joined by Professor Joost Pauwelyn, a world-renowned expert on WTO and public international law, who has been a senior advisor to King & Spalding in Geneva since September 2007. Pauwelyn teaches international economic law and WTO law at the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva. He was formerly an official with the WTO's Legal Affairs Division and the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat.
Also joining King & Spalding's Geneva office is associate Stephanie Noel, who specializes in trade remedy litigation and handles regional trade agreement negotiations and agriculture trade issues. She joins King & Spalding from Budin & Partners.
About King & Spalding
Celebrating 125 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 800 lawyers in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Houston, London, New York, Paris, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. The firm represents half of the Fortune 100 and, according to a Corporate Counsel survey in August 2009, ranks fifth in its total number of representations of those companies. For additional information, visit www.kslaw.com.
Contact Information:
Contact:
King & Spalding
Les Zuke
+1 212 827 4392
lzuke@kslaw.com