The quiet hand behind global trade
Lighthill is a boutique international trade law firm in Washington, D.C. We counsel producers, importers, exporters, and governments through the most complex regulatory terrain in global commerce.
About
Precision where the stakes are highest
Trade law is opaque by design. Tariff schedules, antidumping proceedings, export controls, sanctions regimes — these systems were not built to be navigated easily. They were built to be navigated correctly.
Lighthill exists for that purpose. Founded by John Anwesen, the firm brings nearly a decade of experience at the intersection of government enforcement and private-sector defense. Our attorneys have led investigations for the U.S. Department of Commerce, drafted briefs before the Court of International Trade, and verified subsidy programs on the ground in countries from Thailand to China.
We serve clients who cannot afford ambiguity — manufacturers defending against countervailing duty investigations, importers facing customs audits, exporters navigating sanctions compliance. For them, we provide not just representation, but clarity.
Services
Three disciplines,
one focus
Trade Remedies
Strategic counseling and defense in the full spectrum of import duty proceedings — from petition to final determination.
- Antidumping & countervailing duty proceedings
- Anticircumvention investigations
- Section 201 safeguards
- Section 232 national security actions
- Section 301 trade practice responses
- Section 337 IP-related import cases
U.S. Customs
Navigating the regulatory architecture of cross-border commerce — compliance, classification, and enforcement.
- Customs compliance & rules of origin
- Tariff classifications & valuations
- RASA assessments & audits
- Prior disclosures & penalties
- USMCA rules
- UFLPA & EAPA investigations
Export Controls
Advising U.S. exporters on compliance with federal export control rules — from classification through enforcement.
- Export classifications & jurisdiction requests
- License applications & management
- Due diligence in export sales
- Voluntary self-disclosures
- Compliance training & program design
- Government inquiry responses
Team
Government experience, private-sector instinct
Our attorneys and advisors have served inside the agencies that enforce U.S. trade law. That perspective informs every strategy we build.