We are pleased to announce that Patrick T. Childress, former assistant general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), has joined as a partner in our Washington, D.C., office.
Mr. Childress focuses on international trade policy and high-stakes international disputes. He advises corporations, governments and other stakeholders around the world on issues related to the evolving tariff landscape, trade-related enforcement actions, government investigations and treaty negotiations. He also represents corporate and sovereign clients in commercial and investment treaty arbitration proceedings.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Childress represented the United States in trade-related matters during both Trump Administrations and the Biden Administration as an attorney at USTR. During his time in government, he advised senior administration officials, led U.S. government delegations negotiating with foreign trading partners and worked with corporate stakeholders across an array of industries on trade-related issues. Mr. Childress handled a broad portfolio of trade law and policy issues, including foreign investment, digital trade, climate and environment, and trade in automotives. He also served as USTR's lead attorney for regional matters involving Canada, Mexico and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Mr. Childress also has deep experience in international arbitration. He has represented corporate clients and sovereign governments in investor-state and commercial arbitrations around the world. Six of these arbitrations involved claims in excess of $1 billion.
"This has been a time of significant disruption in global trade," said Robert Friedman, co-head of Holland & Knight's International Trade Group. "Our Tariff Task Force and broader trade team is incredibly busy advising corporations, governments and other stakeholders around the world on issues related to the evolving tariff landscape, heightened trade-related enforcement actions, government investigations and treaty negotiations. Patrick's senior-level government experience advising administration officials, Congress and executive branch agencies on some of the most consequential trade matters, coupled with his years as a trusted practitioner in the private sector, make him an invaluable asset."
Mr. Childress received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. degree from Virginia Tech.