Law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed has hired Dean Pinkert, formerly a commissioner on the US International Trade Commission (USITC), as a partner in its international trade group.

Pinkert was nominated to the USITC under the government of former President George W Bush in 2007 and made vice-chairman of the commission by Barack Obama in 2014.

In that role, he participated in many antidumping investigations and economic studies, including one of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which the US has now exited.

Before his time at the USITC, Pinkert served as a senior attorney in the US Department of Commerce’s office of chief counsel for import administration. There he liaised with US customs authorities, advised on the Foreign Trade Zone programme and advised the US trade representative.

He argued trade remedy cases before NAFTA and WTO panels, and also served as trade and judiciary counsel to Senator Robert C Byrd.

Hughes Hubbard’s international trade practice advises and represents clients in a range of import, export, national security and trade-related regulatory matters.

This is the latest appointment in a recent hiring spree of former US trade officials to private law firms in Washington DC, showing a high degree of anticipation for President Trump’s trade policy changes. In February Hogan Lovells hired Andrew Keller, previously of the US State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, as a partner in its Washington, DC international trade and investment practice. The month before, Akin Gump recruited Kevin Wolf, former US assistant secretary of commerce for export administration.

Ted Mayer, Hughes Hubbard managing partner, says: “As the new presidential administration continues to drive changes to trade policy, Dean has a unique combination of high-level government experience, industry knowledge and bipartisan outlook to help our clients navigate the new landscape.”

Amanda DeBusk, chair of the trade group, adds: “We expect to see a significant increase in trade cases as the Trump administration and global geopolitical events continue to impact trade policies. The administration appears committed to new trade measures, such as tariffs. In addition, the US is preparing to negotiate a trade agreement with the UK, independent of the European Union. Dean strengthens our leading market credentials for projects across these pressing areas as well as the full range of trade policy.”