© 2018 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo
(Feb. 20) – Akerman announced Monday it enhanced its expertise in Texas by adding international trade gurus Michelle Schulz and Elsa Manzanares in Dallas.
Schulz and Manzanares previously co-chaired the International Trade Group at Gardere. Joining them at Akerman are attorney Kim Carlson, senior trade advisor Troy Shaffer and trade analyst Matthew Savage.
Schulz, noting that Akerman has offices in all major ports and gateway cities, said her new firm’s breadth is helpful.
“We have been looking for a broader platform and stronger international reach,” she added. “We have a very strong trade team that is uniquely formed to serve the needs of importers and exporters.”
With these lateral hires, Akerman now has more than 50 attorneys in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. The firm has doubled its headcount in Texas over the last 19 months.
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 said the experience has “played a significant role for me to be at forefront of legal and regulatory changes and to understand what is going on with international policy.”
Two areas where Schulz is seeing increased activity are enforcement of sanctions and embargoes and international collaboration on space and drone technology.
Manzanares advises clients on U.S. and international regulations governing the import and export of goods, services, software and technology. The former Mary Kay in–house lawyer has a particular focus on minimizing trade and corruption risks for buyers or sellers in international transactions.
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