Tariffs Spur Law Firms to Brace for Trade Disputes Surge

International Trade attorneys Ronald Oleynik, Patrick Childress, Tahlia Townsend and Daniel Goren were mentioned in a Law360 article exploring how law firms are preparing for an expected uptick in international disputes as a result of President Donald Trump's tariffs and evolving trade policy. Reciprocal tariffs and 50 percent tariffs on products from the European Union (EU) – and their subsequent delays – in combination with continued negotiations with foreign trading partners have created an air of uncertainty for businesses and investors, leading to an increase in clients seeking legal counsel. Mr. Oleynik estimated the firm has seen around 50 new clients looking for help in navigating trade-related issues, saying "we're basically having a tariffs discussion 24 hours a day." He also noted the firm is well-positioned to assist clients in this area, having spent years building a broad-based practice that was recently augmented with the arrivals of Partner Patrick Childress, the former assistant general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and Partners Tahlia Townsend and Daniel Goren, who have experience in export controls and trade compliance issues.

"I'm not happy to say I don't have the answers. The crystal ball is very cloudy," he commented. "But I am happy to say we've built a team and thought through the business aspects, the tariff aspects, the political aspects, the litigation aspects, in a way that we can at least try to help clients."

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