Akin Gump Adds Senior Counsel in Washington

(Washington, D.C.) -- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Lars-Erik Hjelm has joined the firm as senior counsel in the international section in Washington.

Mr. Hjelm joins the firm from the U.S. Customs Service. From 1996 until recently, he served in Baltimore, Maryland, as the U.S. Customs Service’s principal legal adviser for the mid-Atlantic states, including the ports of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he managed and supervised the regional legal office, advised Customs Service personnel on the enforcement of customs laws and regulations, provided litigation support to the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorneys, and conducted administrative litigation. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Hjelm served as counsel in the trade and enforcement sections of the Office of the Chief Counsel of the U.S. Customs Service and in the enforcement branch of the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985 and his J.D. from Emory University in 1989. He is a member of the Georgia Bar.

George J. Weise, the former commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, noted, “Lars was a star in the Counsel’s office at the Customs Service. As a manager and attorney, he consistently provided outstanding legal advice and services to client offices. Akin Gump’s clients will also benefit from his proven record of excellence.”

Akin Gump’s international practice group is one of the largest in the country, with more than 35 attorneys specializing in unfair trade litigation (antidumping and countervailing duty cases), international trade policy matters, WTO dispute resolution proceedings, customs law, export control and economic sanctions matters, and other international trade regulatory work.

Warren Connelly, chair of Akin Gump’s international practice group, commented, “With his background in customs law and customs enforcement matters, and his experience at the U.S. Customs Service, Lars will be a great complement to our international practice and will enhance our ability to handle virtually any international trade matter for our clients.”

Founded in 1945, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., a leading international law firm, numbers 830 lawyers with offices in Austin, Brussels, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Washington. The firm has a diversified practice and represents regional, national and international clients in a wide range of areas, including antitrust; banking and financial institutions; bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights; capital markets; communications; corporate and securities; employee benefits; energy; entertainment; environmental; estate planning and probate; food and drug; government contracts; health; insurance; intellectual property; international; investment management; labor and employment; litigation; mergers and acquisitions; privatization; project finance; public law and policy; real estate and finance; taxation; and technology. For additional information, please visit our Web site at http://www.akingump.com.