Global Policy and Advocacy

Success in today’s global marketplace requires an understanding of the rules that govern every aspect of the international economy — from trade in goods and services, to intellectual property and product standards. Our Global Policy and Advocacy team has a history of representing companies, trade associations and governments on high-level policy and regulatory issues before international organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We are well versed in the politics and policy-making of such agencies, and can leverage our insight to help our clients expand, or at a minimum maintain, market access.

“We don’t think anyone has the same lobbying and advocacy expertise as Sidley.”
Chambers Global 2018, International Trade/WTO

Our team works with professionals across the firm’s multidisciplinary practice areas to represent clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, medical technology, food and beverage, chemicals, agriculture, and media and entertainment.

Drawing upon the strength of our Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice, including our WTO Disputes team, as well as Sidley’s global reach, our professionals are able to not only monitor policy developments and provide legal advice on these issues, but also provide advocacy support on a range of complex topics.

Clients also seek our guidance in resolving high-stakes disputes. We approach dispute settlement proceedings, agreements and negotiations from a broad industry perspective, crafting forward-thinking strategies that mitigate issues and maintain discretion, allowing clients to focus on pursuing their business objectives.

Our professionals, many of whom are former government officials and trade negotiators, have experience in leveraging the authority of national governments to effectively resolve global business issues across virtually all economic sectors and regions of the world. Many of our team members have previously served in roles with key trade and governmental bodies, including:

• European Commission
• Missions of the European Union and the United States to the WTO
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
• U.S. International Trade Commission
• World Health Organization
• World Trade Organization
• Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM)
• Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
• New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Dutch Tax and Customs Administration