Stephan Becker > Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s international arbitration practice is able to draw on specialist partners in the US, the UK, Japan and China. The team is particularly well positioned to handle international trade disputes, where Washington DC-based Stephan Becker is recommended for his recent work representing Mexico in an UNCITRAL arbitration filed under NAFTA. Other key contacts include Richard Deutsch in Houston; Michael Jaffe in Washington DC; and New York’s Derek Soller.

The ‘well unified and collaborative’ team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is noted for its ability to leverage each lawyer’s unique skill sets to ‘demonstrate “big picture” understanding, as well as specialized advice within categories of issues’. Among those specialist categories of expertise, the group stands out for its ability to plug into the wider firm’s comprehensive China practice, which is a useful resource in complex China-related reviews. In terms of its industry strong suits, its extensive experience in the energy—particularly nuclear—as well as the technology and government contract spheres are significant drivers of work. Nancy Fischer heads the overall regulatory practice, which includes the international trade unit, and has an emphasis on foreign investment reviews under CFIUS and foreign ownership mitigation for DCSA-cleared facilities. Other key contacts in the Washington DC-based practice include international trade head Stephan Becker; next-generation partner Matthew Rabinowitz; and senior associate Zachary Rozen.

Noted for its ‘deep bench when it comes to trade compliance’, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP draws on 15 lawyers in the export controls, economic sanctions and customs law areas. The firm’s unique strengths in the nuclear, energy, technology, defense, and aerospace spheres pay dividends, and the team attracts a significant volume of work related to those industries. In particular, it is recognized for its expertise in advising on nuclear export controls and the overlap of the EAR with Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regimes. Among its recent work in the nuclear space, global regulatory head Nancy Fischer advised the Ad Hoc Utilities Group on the potential applicability of Russia and Iran-related sanctions to imports of nuclear fuel for use in US commercial nuclear power plants. The Washington DC-based team also includes trade veteran Christopher Wall; trade chair Stephan Becker;  Aaron Hutman; and Benjamin Cote.

The international trade team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP ‘understands the nuances of procedure, substantive requirements and policy’, according to sources. The group’s deep industry knowledge is also a recurring theme among clients, with the wider firm’s dominant offerings in the nuclear, defense and aerospace spheres reflected in its trade remedies and trade policy roster. Global head of regulatory Nancy Fischer handles the full scope of trade matters, with significant expertise in trade remedies, customs law, and disputes under NAFTA and the WTO; she is representing a large group of US nuclear utilities in various trade remedy proceedings before US courts and agencies. Stephan Becker leads the international trade practice and is recommended for his experience in trade litigation. Aaron Hutman and newly promoted partner Benjamin Cote are also active in trade remedy and trade policy matters.