International Trade Navigating the Maze of Global Sanctions: A Business Perspective

Ngosong Fonkem is an International Trade lawyer at Harris Sliwoski LLP. He advises companies, countries, and individuals to navigate domestic and foreign legal issues on aspects of international trade law.

Prior to settling into full time legal practice, Ngosong worked as a full-time law professor at the law faculty of the oldest private university in Malaysia and as an energy intelligence management consultant in Southeast Asia.

He was recently appointed to the board of the Wisconsin Export District Council in January of 2024. In 2022, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and US Trade Representative (“USTR”) to serve as an industry sector advisor within the USTR’s Industry Sector Technical Advisory Committee (“ITAC”) on “Small, Minority, and Women-led business.” In 2019, he was appointed by the “Turkish Investor and Industrialist Businessmen Association” (“YATSIAD”) to serve as its U.S. representative. He is a former chair of the Wisconsin Bar Association International Practice Section and board member of Wisconsin Bar Association Business Law Section. He is chair of events at the International Trade Club of Chicago; vice-chair of the International Section Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. From 2016 to 2018, he served as a commissioner on the Board of Brown County Harbor Commission at the port of Green Bay. And finally, he serves on the executive committee of Dairy Cares of Wisconsin (a charitable organization that raises money on behalf of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin) and Kicking It With The Cows (another charitable organization that raises money on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Hospital).

Most recently, he co-authored a book on international trade and geopolitics titled, “Trade Crash: A Primer on Surviving and Thriving in Pandemics & Global Trade Disruption.”

Biography

Bruce Aitken has had a successful career in four areas: (a) customs & trade; (b) homeland security; (c) film production; and (e) hi-tech issues policy making & advocacy. His career has been distinguished by the following.

• Partner in a boutique and international law firms (e.g., Aitken Berlin (NY/DC): customs and trade cases: successfully worked in trade cases under all major US trade laws and some overseas;
• Only American named to US-Can FTA; NAFTA; WTO and WIPO Dispute Resolution Panels. Legal Advisor to China’s State Planning & Development Committee on WTO accession.
• Co-authored Antidumping, published by the China Chamber of Commerce in 2003.
• Created and Taught Law courses on NAFTA & Trade Negotiations Training at Georgetown Univ. (LLM Program), American Univ. (LLM Program) and Malaysia’s Technology University.
• Launched Trade Negotiations Training Center in Malaysia with the IPBA (he’s Vice Chair of its Legal Devel./Training Committee) and the Malaysian Bar Council (2016).
• Named an International Super Lawyer (top 5% designation) in the Washington Post (2013-18)
• Following 911, formed Homeland Security Industries Association (www.hsianet.org). Named as only civilian on Office of Homeland Security’s Task Force on State and Local Terrorism Guidelines (2001); participated in 9/11 Commission meetings (2002-4).
• Co-anchored homeland security shows on World Business Review & 21st Century Business with Gens. Alexander Haig & Norman Schwarzkoph (Bravo, CNBC, Star Alliance) (2004-9).
• 2017 – Present: Board Member Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Chair, 2017-20) (Brussels; Washington D.C.)
• Award-winning feature and documentary film producer (e.g., WorldFest Remi for Best Dark Comedy, God the Worm, 2020).
• Published widely; over 200 speeches in 20 countries; multiple Congressional/media appearances.
• Began his career at the World Bank.
• Graduate of Fordham U. (BA, Economics), Columbia U. (MBA, International Business) and American U. (JD).
• Married with 3 children and 1 grandchild

Biography

Biography

Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s International Trade and Government Contracts groups. She advises clients with respect to outbound U.S. transactions, including U.S. export controls and economic sanctions. Jana previously worked in the Regulatory and Multilateral Affairs division of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC’s) Policy office at the U.S. Department of State.

Jana works with clients across a broad range of industries, from traditional aerospace and defense manufacturers and multi-national software companies, to start-ups in the technology sector, and she regularly represents them before the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury in responding to government inquiries, conducting internal reviews, and in voluntary disclosures and compliance investigations.