Law firm Akin Gump has hired Jasper Helder as partner in its international trade practice.

He joins from Baker & McKenzie, where he chaired the Europe, Middle East and Africa trade and commerce practice.

His expertise consists of European Union international trade policy and regulatory issues, including export control, sanctions, customs, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws, as well as trade remedies, free trade agreements, rules of origin and customs compliance.  He can also advise on the compliance aspects of third-party contracts and related third-party compliance reviews.

Helder represents clients before European national administrations and courts and before the European Court of Justice and the European Commission.

“The European Union and the United States have the largest trade and investment relationship in the world, with the most complex set of regulations governing the movement of goods, services and money across the Atlantic,” says Thomas J McCarthy, head of Akin Gump’s international trade practice. “Jasper brings a profound knowledge of the EU that will be very important to our clients, particularly as EU trade issues such as Brexit continue to create new challenges, and his experience adds a strong complement to our existing EU regulatory platform. I am excited to have him on our team and look forward to his many contributions here.”

Akin Gump’s international trade practice has more than doubled in the last 10 years and now counts more than 40 professionals spread between Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Geneva, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

It advises clients in the aerospace, technology, financial services, energy, apparel and transportation/logistics industries.