Patrick James McLain

Pat McLain has extensive experience in trade litigation and policy matters. His practice covers antidumping duty, countervailing duty, and safeguard proceedings; investigations and tariff actions under Section 232, and Section 301; trade policy and negotiations; import compliance; and World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute resolution and market access counseling.  He has successfully represented clients in U.S. trade remedy and tariff matters before the Department of Commerce, the International Trade Commission, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Federal courts.  He has also assisted clients with advocacy before senior government officials and agencies with jurisdiction over international trade matters. His WTO practice has involved some of the largest, most complex disputes in the organization’s history. He has represented clients in the advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, chemical, consumer products, fertilizer, information technology, renewable energy, semiconductor, steel, and wood products sectors.

In domestic trade remedies and tariff actions, Pat has represented clients in antidumping and countervailing duty original investigations, administrative reviews, sunset reviews, scope and anti-circumvention inquiries, and Federal court appeals.  He has also handled litigation and policy issues in Section 201, Section 301, and Section 232 proceedings. 

In the area of WTO dispute resolution, Pat has deep experience with a broad spectrum of litigation efforts, from devising case strategy through the litigation of original, compliance, and level-of-countermeasures disputes and related appeals. He has also advised clients on the feasibility of potential future WTO disputes, and on the consistency of existing and proposed measures with WTO rules.

Pat frequently advises clients on the public policy and communications aspects of trade matters and has helped them develop policy initiatives and communications strategies, as well as engage with government, industry, and public stakeholders.

Prior to joining King & Spalding, Pat practiced international trade law at another large law firm.  Before entering private practice, Pat clerked for the Hon. Jane A. Restani, then the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade.