Thomas M. Beline

Thomas Beline is a partner in Cassidy Levy Kent’s Washington DC office. Mr. Beline’s practice focuses on advising clients on all areas of import regulatory compliance and policy, trade remedies, and international trade litigation. Mr. Beline regularly appears as lead counsel before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) binational panels. Mr. Beline has also advised clients involved in the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement process. In addition, Mr. Beline works closely with clients in matters involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection including tariff classification, valuation, enforcement, and drawback claims.

Mr. Beline works with companies from a diverse spectrum of industry sectors including primary steel, consumer electronics, construction equipment, fabricated metals, chemicals, and textiles. He has prosecuted and defended trade actions involving various companies with manufacturing in the United States and abroad. Mr. Beline also has experience litigating trade issues in bankruptcy law and reverse Qui Tam actions.

Mr. Beline has been appointed by the chief judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade to serve as a member of the Court’s Rules Advisory Committee. Mr. Beline has also appeared as a speaker on international trade topics. Mr. Beline is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh.

Representative Experience

• Successfully prosecuted original antidumping and countervailing duty investigations and administrative reviews as lead counsel on behalf of domestic industries facing unfair import competition in primary steel products, consumer electronics, and fabricated metals cases.
• Defended before U.S. courts and international tribunals the United States’ methodological decisions in conducting antidumping proceedings and the chosen price comparison methodology used.
• Represented U.S. domestic producers in the investigations covering Large Residential Washers and Photovoltaic Cells and Modules pursuant to section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974.
• Represented domestic steel and pipe and tube producers in the investigation concerning China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation pursuant to section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
• Developed a novel theory of civil procedure in trade cases to permit a client to successfully appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and overturn an unfavorable disposition at the U.S. Court of International Trade.
• Obtained favorable exclusions to trade remedy actions before the U.S. Department of Commerce, including the first ever exclusion from antidumping and countervailing duty measures covering softwood lumber from Canada for products certified to be from a specific region in Canada.
• Advises on trade policy, including advising clients on the impact to their business of bi-national and multi-national trade agreements.