Patrick T. Childress

Patrick T. Childress is an international trade and disputes attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office.

When businesses and industry associations face complex trade challenges, they turn to Mr. Childress for strategic counsel that delivers results. Clients rely on him to mitigate the impact of tariffs, respond effectively to U.S. government trade investigations and shape trade policy in ways that advance their strategic interests. Mr. Childress is known for leveraging U.S. customs laws and engaging officials in the executive branch and on Capitol Hill to secure wins for his clients. His proactive, practical advocacy has saved companies many millions of dollars and resulted in favorable changes to U.S. trade policy.

Mr. Childress' knowledge and experience is grounded in his prior service as assistant general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where he represented the U.S. in trade matters during both Trump Administrations, as well as the Biden Administration. Mr. Childress has led U.S. delegations in negotiations with foreign trading partners, counseled senior officials and collaborated with stakeholders across diverse industries on issues ranging from foreign investment and digital trade to climate, environment and automotive policy. This experience gives him particular insight into the U.S. government's policy-making process and a network of relationships that benefit his clients.

Drawing on his time as USTR's lead lawyer for Canada, Mexico and the implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Mr. Childress co-leads Holland & Knight's USMCA Team, guiding clients through the complexities of this trade agreement and its ongoing renegotiation.

Mr. Childress' commentary on international trade law and policy is regularly cited in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, Bloomberg and CNN. He is a frequent author and speaker at leading academic and professional forums, and he has lectured at Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr. Childress also has deep experience in international arbitration. He has represented corporate clients and sovereign governments in investor-state and commercial arbitrations around the world. Six of these arbitrations involved claims in excess of $1 billion.

Before his time as a government official, Mr. Childress was an attorney at large global law firms in New York and Washington, D.C.