Overview
Carolyn B. Gleason is the head of the Firm’s Trade, Agriculture and EU Regulatory Practice Group.
Carolyn has extensive experience in all areas of trade relief, including US antidumping, countervailing duty and safeguards actions, and has successfully litigated a number of import-relief cases involving food and agriculture. She also has in-depth knowledge of dispute settlement proceedings under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organization (WTO) and has served as government counsel and chief private sector counsel in a great many successful dispute settlement actions. Carolyn has successfully represented clients in international arbitration as well.
In addition to her trade cases, Carolyn represents clients in multilateral trade negotiations, free trade negotiations and bilateral trade disputes, and on market-access issues across the globe. She counsels clients as well on regulatory, trade compliance, customs, food safety, phytosanitary and export assistance matters.
To support these trade actions and client matters, Carolyn advocates regularly before all US agencies involved in US trade policy and enforcement (White House, USTR, Commerce, USDA, State and others). She also regularly advocates to the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over trade and to other Hill offices. She has substantial experience as a testifying panelist before Executive and Legislative bodies and the International Trade Commission on trade-related disputes, policy, negotiations, legislation and other matters.
Carolyn has received, by invitation, a degree from the Japanese Business Study Program from the Institute of International Studies and Training in Japan.
Results
- Successfully led numerous trade remedy proceedings, several on behalf of US agribusiness interests
- Led the trade team that is widely credited with having innovated, launched and litigated the “Banana Wars” and with negotiating two major WTO agreements aimed at settling the case; this long-standing dispute has included 13 successful GATT and WTO actions and two successful settlement agreements
- Represented and delivered positive negotiating results for clients across numerous industries and in virtually every major US bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiation for nearly four decades
- Successfully represented a large agribusiness company in international arbitration over breach of contract and complex EU trade rules
- Managed the policy dimensions of a major roll-out throughout Asia of a new-to-market product
- Successfully represented a leading global provider of computer services in achieving improved access to China’s market
- Represented major agribusiness interests on sanctions and other compliance issues
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America, International Trade and Finance Law, 2021-2024
- Legal 500 United States, 2016-2019, 2022-2024
- Women in Business Law Expert Guide, International Trade, 2017 and 2020
Credentials
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, JD, 1981
Johns Hopkins University, BA, 1978
Admissions
District of Columbia
