Nancy Fischer > Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

‘A well-oiled machine’, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s international trade practice receives rave reviews for its collaborative approach. The group’s broad experience is also frequently noted; as one client asserts, ‘there is nothing that this team has not seen or experienced through its portfolio’. The wider firm’s impressive defense offering is a significant source of mandates here, particularly the aerospace sphere, while it also handles a steady stream of work on behalf of energy, technology and sovereign clients. Department co-chair Nancy Fischer is held up as ‘the most astute international trade counsel on the market’; she is representing a large group of US nuclear utilities (known as the Ad Hoc Utilities Group) on trade remedy matters, including on proceedings at the DOC, ITC and CIT. Fellow co-chair Stephan Becker advises on a wide range of trade matters, including trade remedies, trade policy, export controls and customs issues; he is representing the Government of Mexico in ongoing trade remedy proceedings involving a suspension agreement on imports of sugar. Aaron Hutman and counsel Benjamin Cote also advise on trade remedies and trade policy matters.

The international trade group at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP impresses with its ability to provide ‘detailed guidance on complex CFIUS considerations in an easily digestible format’. Among its other key attributes, the group stands out for its ability to draw on the wider firm’s technology and public policy expertise, while its strong China practice marks it as a popular choice to handle China-related security filings. Indeed, one source commends CFIUS expert Nancy Fischer as being especially sensitive to the ‘complex dynamics and CIFUS-filing implications of US-China cross-border transactions’. Fischer, who heads the global regulatory practice, recently obtained CFIUS clearance on behalf of Perpetual Capital Partners regarding the sale of Politico and Politico Europe to Axel Springer. The group also fields an impressive second line of up-and-coming CFIUS specialists, with newly promoted partner Matthew Rabinowitz recommended as ‘highly technical and commercial’, while senior associate Zachary Rozen is ‘very responsive and hands on’.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s Washington DC-based team provides a ‘unique service tailored to client needs’, according to sources. Forming key parts of the broader international trade offering, the economic sanctions and embargoes practice, and the export and technology transfer controls group are equipped to advise on the full range of related regulatory compliance issues. The group is a force in the nuclear sphere, where it possesses niche expertise in advising on nuclear export controls and the overlap of the EAR with Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regimes. The defense, technology, and traditional energy industries additionally stand out as practice sweet spots. High-profile expert Christopher Wall is noted for his adept handling of commercial and military export matters, economic sanctions, and customs work. Trade co-chairs Stephan Becker and Nancy Fischer are also recommended for their sanctions and export controls experience, along with Aaron Hutman and counsel Benjamin Cote.