John Anwesen

John Anwesen is the Principal Attorney of Lighthill and an advocate with a vision of a connected world. He has helped companies remain competitive in the U.S. market — and in many cases eliminate import duties entirely — through disciplined defense and strategic foresight.

John advises on antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, Sections 232 and 301 investigations, customs matters, export controls, and sanctions. His background spans both government enforcement — including leading cases at the U.S. Department of Commerce — and private-sector defense across a wide range of industries. With nearly a decade in international trade matters, he brings technical depth and practical judgment to every engagement.

Representative Matters

Defended a U.S. importer of quartz surface products during Customs risk assessment information requests
Led the successful defense of a brass rod producer during a Department of Commerce antidumping duty investigation
Directed the defense of a manufacturing client in a countervailing duty investigation involving oil country tubular goods
Guided clients through legal hazards associated with anticircumvention proceedings
Secured rulings from Commerce confirming that a client's solar products fall outside the scope of AD/CVD orders
Provided counsel on due diligence processes for the sale of laser-sensing technology products
Developed legal strategies challenging Commerce's Differential Pricing methodology
Provided legal advice to the International Trade Administration's Enforcement & Compliance Unit
Led verification of subsidy programs in Thailand for Commerce, focusing on the solar panel industry
Presented recommendations to Assistant and Deputy Assistant Secretaries at the International Trade Administration

Publications

Law360 — US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided
Bloomberg Law — Circumvention of AD & CVD Orders: Imports From China & Southeast Asia
Bloomberg Law — Implications for Interpreting Scope of Antidumping & Countervailing Duty Orders
The Prudential Carve-Out Clause: is Risk the New Corrupt Moral?, 4 Penn St. J. L. & Int'l Aff. 749 (2016)

Education

University of California, Riverside — B.A., Economics, 2012
University of Maryland School of Law — J.D., 2015
International Trade Administration — Law Certificate Program, 2017
Arizona State University, Thunderbird School — Executive Certificate, Global Business