Law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has bolstered its international trade group with the appointment of Russell Semmel as counsel.

New York-based Semmel joins after nearly three years as an attorney at Arent Fox, and previously spent just under nine years at trade and customs-focused law firm Neville Peterson.

Semmel is responsible for advising BCLP’s international trade clients on US customs and trade law and policy, as well as on free trade agreements, seizures and forfeitures, and antidumping and countervailing duties law, the firm says.

He has experience representing parties in audits, hearings and litigation, including before the US Court of International Trade, BCLP says.

Semmel has also helped clients navigate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which entered into force in July last year to replace the earlier North American Free Trade Agreement, known as Nafta.

Susan Kovarovics, leader of BCLP’s international trade practice, says: “Drawing on his experience counselling multinational corporations, individual importers, trade associations and governments, [Semmel] provides advice to clients to enable them to achieve and maintain compliance with customs obligations, while maximising duty savings.”