Government Practice Group Rodriguez O’Donnell’s Government Relations Practice Group is led by: Carlos Rodriguez - 202-973-2999 - rodriguez@rorlaw.com Our government practice group regularly provides up-to-date information about new and on-going legislative activities that bear on our clients’ interests. Our firm maintains an active presence on Capitol Hill, regularly monitoring important developments within both houses of the U.S. Congress thereby ensuring that our clients are kept apprised of the most recent legislative developments affecting international trade, transportation, and maritime industries. We work closely with members of the legislature, key staff, and appropriate executive branch appointees. We are experienced in forming coalitions to enhance support for our clients’ positions among trade associations and others who share similar legislative goals. When legislative remedies are called for, we develop strategies, draft proposed statutory and report language, analyze legislative and regulatory provisions, develop position papers on legal and public policy issues, and prepare testimony for witnesses appearing before legislative bodies. We played a significant role in the development and passage of the highly publicized Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, representing the interests of ocean freight forwarders, NVOCCs, exporters and importers, shippers’ associations, and surety companies. More recently, the firm has been active before the House Judiciary Committee, which is presently reviewing the topic of ocean carrier antitrust immunity, and on-going efforts to introduce a revised Carriage of Goods by Sea Act. Our lawyers appear frequently before agencies in both formal and informal proceedings, such as rulemakings and enforcement actions. We have extensive experience in transportation, Customs, international trade, maritime and admiralty issues, and regulated industries. We have represented clients before the U.S. Trade Representative and have been actively involved in G.S.P. renewal legislation and duty suspension legislation before Congress. We recognize that issues affecting the international trade and maritime industries often involve more than one branch of government. Our firm is knowledgeable and experienced at developing effective and creative solutions to legislative, regulatory, administrative, or judicial hurdles. We regularly represent clients before the relevant international trade and maritime Congressional committees, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Maritime Administration, Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Military Sealift Command, and other executive branch agencies. The Firm also regularly works with importers and exporters on tariff suspension bills and other special legislative matters. Rodriguez O’Donnell’s Government Relations Practice Group is led by: Carlos Rodriguez - 202-973-2999 - rodriguez@rorlaw.com Follow the links to the left and right or below and browse through detailed explanations of each Rodriguez O’Donnell practice area. International Transportation & Maritime Law Customs & International Trade Government Relations Food & Drug Law For the latest information about cargo claims, cargo damage, C-TPAT/CTPAT, Customs law, export law, FDA/Food and Drug law, government relations, import, international trade law, international transportation, NAFTA, OTI/forwarder/NVOCC issues,  trade law and transportation law related issues be sure to visit our What's Hot and Topic Archive pages.