Robert C Cassidy Jr

Bob Cassidy joined WilmerHale in 1983 and has been leader of the firm's International Practice Group and the Trade Group. He served as General Counsel of the Office of the US Trade Representative from 1979-1981 and International Trade Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Finance from 1975-1979. As General Counsel of USTR, Mr. Cassidy was the senior legal officer of the US government responsible for issues arising under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. He oversaw US implementation of the agreements reached in the Tokyo Round of Multinational Trade Negotiations and was the lead US negotiator with Japan on market access issues, including procurement by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation. As International Trade Counsel to the Finance Committee, Mr. Cassidy was a creator of the procedures for consideration of legislation implementing trade agreements—procedures known today as the “fast track” or “trade promotion authority” procedures. He was also a primary architect of the modern antidumping and countervailing duty statutes enacted in the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.