Sarah B. W. Kirwin

Counsel

Areas of Focus

Sarah B. W. Kirwin

Counsel

skirwin@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Counsels companies on matters at the intersection of trade policy and customs compliance, including goods and services market access, free trade agreement (FTA) benefits and compliance, tariff mitigation strategies, rules of origin analysis, and human rights and labor due diligence.
  • Represents sovereign governments in trade and investment disputes before the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international fora.
  • Advises on cross-border digital trade issues, including privacy and data security compliance and risk.

Sarah advises U.S. and foreign clients on various international trade law and policy matters related to FTAs, investment agreements and compliance with U.S. and international trade laws and regulations. Sarah also represents sovereign governments in various international dispute proceedings before the WTO, FTA panels and specialized U.N. agencies, and advises them on related compliance topics.

Sarah’s portfolio focuses on matters at the intersection of trade policy and customs compliance, including the section 301 and 232 tariffs, tariff mitigation strategies, rules of origin analysis, human rights and labor due diligence, and Jones Act issues.

Sarah represents clients on related matters in proceedings before the U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Sarah has in-depth experience advising the automotive sector on these issues, in addition to the electronics, solar, apparel, building materials and retail sectors.

Additionally, Sarah counsels clients on a variety of digital trade issues, including cross-border data transfers, privacy & data protections laws, and data breach response. 

Prior to her legal career, Sarah worked in management consulting for a global firm, focusing on the management of organizational, leadership and business process reform.

Representative Work
  • Represented sovereign governments as complainants, respondents and third parties in over 25 trade disputes related to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), the General Agreement on Services (GATS), the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS Agreement), the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), among others.
  • Advises automotive manufacturers and suppliers on FTA rule of origin compliance and related legal and policy matters.
  • Counsels multinational companies on supply chain due diligence related to forced labor compliance, including in response to detention notices and withhold release orders.
  • Member of lead counsel team in litigation challenging the legality of the section 301 tariffs on products of China.
  • Successfully advocated for section 301 tariff exclusions for numerous clients in the electronics, medical device, home goods, building materials, apparel and other sectors.

Education
  • J.D., Duke University School of Law, 2017

  • M.P.P., University of Virginia, 2012

  • B.A., University of Virginia, 2011

Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia

  • Virginia

Recognitions
  • The Legal 500 US, International Trade, 2022.
  • Akin Gump Pro Bono Scholar, 2015.
Affiliations and Public Service
  • Women in International Trade.
  • Washington International Trade Association.
Speeches and Publications
  • Panelist, “The Growing Impact of International Trade Laws for Med Tech Companies,” MDMA Webinar, March 20, 2024.
  • Speaker, “USMCA: An Overview of Its Implementation. Challenges, Potential Disputes and Win-win Opportunities,” Dorantes Advisors, October 20, 2022.

Insights and Achievements

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