Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, continued its Texas expansion with a team of five international trade lawyers and business professionals, led by partners Michelle Schulz and Elsa Manzanares in Dallas. The group joins Akerman’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice Group from a regional law firm, where Schulz and Manzanares served as co-chairs of the International Trade Group. Schulz also served as chair of the International Practice. Akerman also welcomes practice group attorney Kim Carlson, senior trade advisor Troy Shaffer and trade analyst Matthew Savage.
Akerman has more than doubled its headcount in Texas in the last 19 months to 54 lawyers and business professionals in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. The new team in Dallas represents Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of international trade and customs compliance and enforcement, with an emphasis on the energy, manufacturing, technology and defense sectors. They enhance Akerman’s core strengths in cross-border ventures throughout Latin America and broaden the firm’s experience in Africa, Asia, Europe and worldwide.
“Our trade clients are operating in a world with ever-changing enforcement policies and regulations,” said Richard Spees, chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice Group. “Michelle and her team are exceptional professionals who help clients navigate the most complex aspects of international trade, advocating for exporters and importers in U.S. government investigations, fines and penalties, audits, disclosures, transactions and other trade matters.”
“We are excited to welcome Michelle’s team and have them be a part of our ongoing expansion in Dallas where we are rapidly growing in each of our client sectors,” said Charles Townsend, Dallas office managing partner. “We are building an exceptional team in Dallas that mirrors Akerman’s core strengths and plays a central role in the continuing success of our clients.”
Michelle Schulz
Schulz currently serves as a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee for Aerospace, where she chairs the Export Expansion Subcommittee. She serves Fortune 500 clients in numerous sectors including oil and gas, aerospace, manufacturers and distributors, and defense contractors. While holding a secret level security clearance, she advocates for exporters and importers in U.S. government investigations, fines and penalties, audits, disclosures, and other trade matters. Her experience also includes handling anti-boycott, anti-bribery, Buy America, customs clearance, defense exports/International Traffic in Arms Regulations, dual-use exports/Export Administration Regulations, duties and tariff reduction, e-commerce, exports in service, foreign investments/Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), foreign-trade zones, free trade agreements, international contracts, sanctions and embargoes, and trade data reporting and collection.
Elsa Manzanares
As a former in-house counsel, Manzanares advises clients on U.S. and international regulations governing the import and export of goods, services, software and technology. With a focus on minimizing trade and corruption risks for buyers or sellers in international transactions, she has successfully represented companies facing investigations or inquiries by federal agencies pertaining to violations of the U.S. export regulations, including export and licensing of defense articles, defense services, and encryption items, as well as anti-boycott compliance, and sanctions and embargoes. Manzanares also advises clients on U.S. Customs regulations, such as tariff classification, valuation, product marking (including Made in USA claims), duty free treatment, Customs seizures, audits, and investigations. She routinely represents clients on transactions reviewed for national security by the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and frequently addresses import and export risks in mergers and acquisitions.
Kim Carlson
Carlson defends importers and exporters against governmental inquiries and penalty actions. She conducts audits and prepares disclosures to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Census Bureau. She helps clients build compliance programs from the ground up. As well, Carlson prepares import and export compliance policies and procedure manuals and provides customized training. She also advises domestic and international clients on compliance with U.S. sanctions and antiboycott regulations. She has been a licensed customs broker since 2008.
Troy Shaffer
Shaffer utilizes 29 years of federal law enforcement experience to assist domestic and foreign corporations with U.S. export regulations, export compliance programs, audits, voluntary disclosures and corporate training programs. Previously, he served as a senior special agent for the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security enforcing U.S. export laws. Working with domestic and foreign corporations, Shaffer advises clients on international regulations governing export of dual-use commodities, defense articles, software and technology, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, the U.S. Foreign Trade Regulations, and the various embargo and sanctions programs. In 2015, Shaffer was named the Department’s Special Agent of the Year and he maintains a Top Secret-SCI Security Clearance.
Matthew Savage
Savage supports foreign and domestic corporations with U.S. import and export regulations and compliance, procurement support and global logistics. His experience crosses many sectors including oil and gas, cosmetic, aerospace, international automobile sales and manufacturing. Savage routinely provides oversight for U.S. trade compliance programs including disclosures, import audits, valuation, free trade agreements, import and export documentation and classification determinations. He also conducts internal audits for ISO compliance and improves effectiveness through corrective and preventative actions.
