About Us

In Washington, D.C., BakerHostetler represents the governmental and corporate concerns of domestic and foreign clients. Our legislative attorneys and advisors include former U.S. Congressmen and government officials with decades of experience serving in Congress or with various federal agencies and departments. Among our corporate counsellors are international trade attorneys and more than 30 intellectual property attorneys and staff, as well as some of the nation’s most notable litigation, employment and labor, and tax attorneys.

Government Policy
The BakerHostetler Government Policy Practice has significant experience representing clients on legislative issues concerning tax, trade, health, telecommunications, banking, financial services, judiciary and energy. We secure government appropriations for clients, resolve complicated tax matters through legislation and negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service, and assist clients with changes in health care and pension legislation. We use our congressional and administrative experience to help clients avert federal policy-related concerns.

Our Government Policy advisors represent FORTUNE 100 companies, entrepreneurial ventures, trade associations and industry groups from financial services, sports and entertainment, media, transportation, utilities, real estate, government, higher education and health care.

International
The Washington office counsels clients in more than 30 areas of international law in business transactions, litigation, and before Congress and executive agencies. Our experience is extensive, from representing a private client in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, to defending a government against 55 lawsuits worth more than $10 billion. We represent clients in complex international lawsuits, repurchasing commercial debt, resolving reinsurance disputes, negotiating compensation for expropriations, extraditing persons accused of fraud by foreign governments, and human rights issues. Our attorneys advise clients in matters concerning international discovery, the applications of treaties, complex international tax issues and recovery of assets removed wrongfully from a country. We assist foreign and domestic companies with debt and equity transactions, trade matters, and general business matters.

Intellectual Property and Patent Prosecution
More than 30 attorneys, engineers, patent agents and staff provide intellectual property management services to consumer, industrial, multimedia and technology companies. We represent clients before federal courts, the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, the Court of Federal Claims, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Our attorneys are equally experienced in copyright and trademark law, having prepared and enforced global licensing and merchandising programs for some of the world’s most recognized properties for more than 50 years.

Litigation
Our Washington Litigation practice is diverse, representing significant smaller local matters to large international cases. Former federal prosecutors, district attorneys and regulatory agency officials in our practice advise clients in areas ranging from toxic tort and product liability to real estate and construction. Our Litigation Practice includes notable attorneys and experience in the areas of international trade and trade regulation, as well as media and First Amendment law.

• International Trade—The Washington office regularly represents corporations, associations and governments in proceedings before U.S. and foreign regulatory agencies, the courts, and international dispute resolution panels, including NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the World Trade Organization. We represent clients in countervailing duty and antidumping proceedings before the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, Section 301 before the U.S. Trade Representative, and in safeguard actions under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 involving 11 agencies of the federal government and the White House. We also represent clients in customs, export control and economic sanctions matters before the departments of the Treasury, Commerce, State and Defense, as well as representing foreign and domestic clients regarding imported consumer goods at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Media Law—BakerHostetler is renowned for its representation of major media, including leading newspaper, magazine and book publishers, television and radio broadcasters, cable operators, and industry associations and other interest groups. We regularly counsel clients in defense of lawsuits alleging claims for defamation, invasion of privacy, and copyright and trademark infringement, as well as initiating actions challenging government interference with the exercise of First Amendment rights.
  We frequently counsel clients on issues relating to newsgathering and access to public records, provide pre-publication and pre-broadcast content review, and lobby national and state lawmakers on issues important to the media.
  The firm represents broadcast and telecommunications licensees before the Federal Communications Commission and regularly counsels media and investment companies on communications regulatory matters.
• Trade Regulation—The Washington Trade Regulation practice represents clients in matters involving the federal and state antitrust laws, including investigations and litigation conducted by the U.S. Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general, as well as class actions and other types of private antitrust litigation. Our attorneys are experienced with matters arising under the various antitrust acts, in addition to all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including compliance with requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. We represent clients in advertising, sales and promotional practices, and warranty matters, and are experienced in representing clients in consumer product safety matters, including reporting requirements, recalls, and other forms of corrective action.

Tax, Personal Planning and Personal Wealth Administration
Whether it’s resolving an issue with the IRS or establishing a charitable organization, our Washington Tax and Personal Planning practice is experienced in helping individual and corporate clients navigate complex tax issues. Our attorneys’ experience covers the spectrum of tax, personal planning and wealth administration services.

• Tax and Personal Planning—Our Washington tax attorneys are at the forefront of legislative and administrative developments in federal tax policy. Representing corporations, partnerships, individuals and estates, we advise clients in the areas of tax controversy and litigation, transfer pricing, international and domestic tax planning, IRS rulings and administrative practice, and business and personal planning. We emphasize the importance of tax planning, and assist clients who consult us after an audit by the IRS or state or local authorities has begun. Our solid working relationships with policymakers at the IRS, in Congress and in the Treasury Department enable us to intervene in the administrative and legislative process on our clients’ behalf, often mitigating potential negative impacts of legislation.
• Personal Wealth Administration—Some of the nation’s most affluent families rely upon our counsel and representation with respect to the accumulation, management and distribution of their personal wealth. We combine significant experience in business, tax and property law to assist with family and business financial arrangements, including the preparation and administration of related documents and arrangements to conserve and transfer wealth. We represent families, trustees and personal representatives before legislative, judicial and regulatory branches of government at all levels. We also are nationally recognized for our legal and administrative experience in establishing and guiding the formation and operation of charitable organizations and the tax and practical aspects of charitable contributions and other financial support programs.

Employment and Labor
The Washington office counsels clients large and small, union and nonunion, on a variety of employment and labor relations issues, including wage and hour issues, strategic planning and reorganization, collective bargaining, wrongful discharge litigation, discrimination, sexual harassment and affirmative action matters and workers’ compensation claims.

Our attorneys are skilled at resolving difficult issues to minimize the negative impact on companies. In defense of an international air-freight forwarder, our experience enabled us to forestall and resolve issues that could have derailed the start-up of a new company and caused significant lost resources in litigation. We also successfully represented employers in both in investigations by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor and in litigation brought by employees and the Solicitor of Labor’s Office.

Our employment and labor attorneys have long-standing professional relationships with union officials, officials at the NLRB, the National Mediation Board, the Departments of Labor and Justice, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state civil rights commissions.

Community Commitment in Washington, DC
Attorneys in the Washington office are active in a variety of civic, community and professional services. Our lawyers have been leaders in local and national government, civic organizations, pro bono practice and professional associations.

Among our Washington attorneys is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Davis Memorial Goodwill Industries. Several of our attorneys are members of the:

• Barristers
• Commercial Law League
• Cosmopolitan Club of Washington Charities
• Democratic National Committee
• Federalist Society
• Girl Scouts of America National Advisory Council
• Greater Washington Board of Trade
• Institute for Republican Women
• Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
• Literacy Volunteers of America
• Millennium Society
• National 4-H Council
• National Association of Broadcasters
• National Press Club
• National Symphony Board of Trustees
• Republican National Lawyers Association
• Shakespeare Theatre Guild
• Sierra Club
• University Club Foundation

Our attorneys also sit on the boards of numerous foundations, universities and colleges, and charitable and nonprofit organizations.