Biography • Trade & Customs

James Mendenhall is counsel in the International Trade and Dispute Resolution group in Sidley's Washington, DC, office, concentrating in international trade policy and litigation, and international arbitration.

From 2005 to January 2007, Mr Mendenhall served as the general counsel of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In that capacity, Mr Mendenhall supervised US participation in World Trade Organization and NAFTA disputes and handled all legal aspects of US bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations. Mr Mendenhall also served as the principal US negotiator of the United States-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement and was the USTR representative on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

From 2003 to 2005, Mr Mendenhall served as the Assistant United States Trade Representative (AUSTR) for Services, Investment and Intellectual Property. While serving as AUSTR, he oversaw bilateral and regional trade agreement negotiations dealing with services (including financial services), investment and intellectual property, and World Trade Organization negotiations related to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and WTO agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Mr Mendenhall was responsible for monitoring the adoption and enforcement of laws to protect the rights of US owners of intellectual property in countries around the world.

From 2001 to 2003, Mr Mendenhall served as USTR's deputy general counsel. Prior to joining the US Government, Mr Mendenhall spent nine years in private practice.

Mr Mendenhall received his JD from Harvard Law School, with honours, in 1992, and his BA from the University of Notre Dame, with highest honours, in 1989. He is admitted in the District of Columbia and New York.