Devin S. Sikes Appointed to US Roster for NAFTA Chapter 19 Disputes
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Akin Gump international trade counsel Devin S. Sikes has been named to the U.S. roster for North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter 19 disputes. His appointment runs from April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, and he is eligible for reappointment.
NAFTA’s Chapter 19 provides an alternative to judicial review by domestic courts of final determinations in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings. Independent binational panels comprising five individuals may review final antidumping and countervailing duty determinations, as well as amendments to the antidumping and countervailing duty statutes of a NAFTA party. Each NAFTA party appoints individuals to a roster from which it may select panelists for Chapter 19 disputes; the U.S. roster totals approximately 30 individuals. Chapter 19 roster members must be citizens of a NAFTA party, must be of good character and of high standing and repute and are selected strictly based on their objectivity, reliability, sound judgment and general familiarity with international trade law.
If the NAFTA parties implement the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) later this year, the current U.S. NAFTA Chapter 19 roster would become the U.S. roster for USMCA Chapter 10 disputes.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Sikes said, “The roster is a distinguished panel of international trade professionals and plays a vital role in the U.S. international trade regime. It is an honor to be able to play a small role in it.”
Mr. Sikes maintains a practice focused on the representation of clients in a wide range of international trade matters. He counsels clients in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, customs matters, and proceedings conducted pursuant to a host of U.S. international trade laws. Prior to joining Akin Gump, he served in the U.S. government for nearly a decade in various roles in the judicial and executive branches, working as a law clerk to the Honorable Judith M. Barzilay of the U.S. Court of International Trade and the Honorable Evan J. Wallach of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and as a Senior Attorney in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement & Compliance.
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