Law firm McDermott Will & Emery has boosted its Washington-based international trade footprint with the hire of a seven-person team from Hughes Hubbard & Reed.

Joanne Osendarp (pictured) and Eric Parnes, former Hughes Hubbard practice chairs, have been appointed partners at McDermott, and are joined by former US trade commissioner Dean Pinkert as senior counsel, together with Tim Hruby, Lynn Kamarck and Alan Kashdan, all counsel, as well as associate Conor Gilligan.

According to a statement issued by the firm, the team brings “high-profile international trade, litigation and regulatory experience and resources, expanding McDermott’s already strong practice with substantial trade remedy experience”.

“This team is dynamite – and the insights they are bringing to our clients have never been more critical, particularly as government policy changes are increasingly fast and furious,” says McDermott chairman Ira Coleman. “Not only are they world-class talent, they will integrate well with our current team. These are exactly the type of moves that will help us better serve our clients and allow us to accelerate out of this crisis.”

Osendarp will serve as co-head of the international trade group together with Carolyn Gleason, partner in the Washington, DC office.

In her previous role at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Osendarp was chair of the international trade practice group. She represents governments, industry associations, export credit agencies and companies in international trade and investment matters including countervailing duty, anti-dumping and other trade remedy proceedings, dispute resolution proceedings under the WTO, investment arbitrations, state-to-state arbitrations and international trade negotiations.

Prior to private practice, Osendarp worked for the government of Canada as senior counsel to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Department of Justice.

She is currently leading the team defending the Canadian government in the high-profile softwood lumber dispute with the US.

Parnes previously served as chair of Hughes Hubbard’s defence industry practice group and co-chair of the technology committee. He represents clients in complex, high-stakes litigation and investigations in court, before arbitral tribunals, and before administrative agencies. Parnes brings a strong litigation background to his work, advocating on behalf of international clients in trade disputes and assisting government contractors and other companies in dealing with government-facing litigation and government and internal investigations.

“Global companies need to navigate the increasingly complex trade landscape. This infusion of talent helps ensure we continue to provide the forward-thinking counsel on the trade issues our clients have come to expect,” says Gleason. “This team is one of the strongest in the world when it comes to trade remedies, trade policy, international dispute resolution and trade negotiations. There is so much synergy across multiple practices and I am looking forward to arming our clients with an expanded multi-disciplinary team.”