Patrick de Lapérouse

Patrick advises clients on inbound and outbound international trade matters, including customs, export controls, and economic sanctions laws and regulations.

Patrick assists clients with customs compliance issues including valuation, country-of-origin, tariff classification, free trade agreements, duty preference programs and trade enforcement actions. He has experience with customs prior disclosures, protests, penalty petitions, compliance audits, enforcement actions before US Customs and Border Protection, as well as trade litigation before the US Court of International Trade and binational panels constituted under the US-Canada-Mexico Agreement. Patrick has also advised clients on export control and economic sanctions compliance matters and represents clients before the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security and the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Patrick also advises clients on international trade due diligence in connection with mergers and acquisitions, strategic supply chain planning, and the design, implementation and administration of effective inbound and outbound compliance programs.

Patrick has advised on the following:

• Several of the world's leading pharmaceutical firms during import compliance assessments and prior disclosures to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as on tariffs and US trade policy.
• Numerous consumer goods, electronics, food, pharmaceutical and medical device companies in addressing Customs compliance challenges and enforcement actions.
• Assisted global food, pharmaceutical and electronics companies in establishing robust forced labor compliance programs.
• Clients across a range of industries evaluate US tariff actions and strategic planning in response to current and anticipated trade policy changes.

Prior to joining the Firm, Patrick advised on the following matters:

• Assisted a leading US company in securing approval by CFIUS of its USD 850 million sale of an identity management business.
• Represented a government client before the Department of Commerce in the Fifth Softwood Lumber Trade Dispute.
• Advised DLH Holdings, a healthcare services contractor, on its USD 70 million acquisition of Social & Scientific Systems, a public health research organization.