International Trade Investigations, Enforcement & Litigation

The 2nd Annual Trade Investigations, Enforcement & Litigation conference is organized by American Conference Institute (ACI), a C5 Group company. ACI produces conferences and roundtables that bring together senior decision-makers, legal professionals, business leaders, and subject-matter experts.

This advanced forum focuses on the legal, investigations, compliance, enforcement, and litigation issues arising from intensified U.S. customs and trade enforcement. The program examines tariff disputes, False Claims Act exposure, trade and customs fraud, Sections 232 and 301, anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, voluntary disclosures, supply chain risks, and the use of AI in investigations.

The main conference will take place February 2-3, 2027, at Le Méridien Arlington, 1121 19th St N, Arlington, VA 22209. Attendees may participate in person or via livestream.

The conference is primarily designed for private practice attorneys, in-house counsel and legal executives, and senior-level in-house international trade and customs professionals. It is particularly relevant to chief compliance officers, trade compliance leaders, investigations counsel, customs and regulatory counsel, and professionals responsible for managing tariff exposure, internal investigations, voluntary disclosures, supply chain compliance, and enforcement response.

The faculty includes senior legal, compliance, customs, and trade professionals from aerospace, automotive and mobility technology, industrial and building technologies, technology and data infrastructure, logistics and shipping, and advanced materials organizations. The program is also relevant to importers and other companies managing customs, tariff, supply chain, and cross-border trade exposure.

Topics include DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force priorities, customs enforcement and importer-of-record responsibilities, False Claims Act and whistleblower risk, tariff evasion and duty enforcement, tariff refund litigation, China supply chain exposure, USMCA uncertainty, Section 301 forced labor and manufacturing overcapacity investigations, Section 232 investigations, AD/CVD matters, voluntary disclosures, and trade defense strategy. The agenda also addresses AI and data analytics in investigations, including governance, privilege, confidentiality, data leakage, and evidence-integrity risks.

Attendees will learn how to strengthen trade investigation and enforcement-response strategies, identify customs and tariff risk, assess when voluntary disclosure may be appropriate, and build more defensible compliance protocols. Sessions also address preserving tariff refunds, managing cross-border and supply chain exposure, responding to whistleblower and False Claims Act risks, evaluating Section 232/301 developments, and deploying AI in investigations with appropriate governance and legal safeguards.

The faculty brings together government enforcement leadership, senior corporate legal and compliance professionals, customs and trade specialists, and experienced outside counsel. Speakers include the Head of the U.S. Department of Justice Trade Fraud Task Force, chief compliance and senior in-house trade leaders, former DOJ and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, and partners from law firms focused on trade investigations, customs, enforcement, and litigation.

Current faculty organizations include the U.S. Department of Justice, PHINIA, Standard Aero, Johnson Controls, Maersk Customs Services Inc., Boeing Company, Lenovo, DHL, Solstice Advanced Materials, Sidley Austin LLP, Cassidy Levy Kent LLP, Page Fura P.C., Squire Patton Boggs, Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC, Honigman LLP, Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein LLP, Gunster, Wiley Rein LLP, Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

The two-day program includes extended networking breaks, networking lunches, and opportunities to exchange perspectives with corporate counsel, compliance leaders, trade professionals, government and former government officials, and outside counsel. The virtual pre-conference workshops also provide smaller-group settings for discussion of AI and data analytics, internal investigations, voluntary disclosures, False Claims Act issues, and whistleblower considerations.

Yes. Groups of 4-8 attendees from the same organization receive a 10% conference discount, while groups of 9-12 receive a 15% conference discount. Groups of more than 12 should call 1-888-224-2480; team members must be from the same organization or firm and register together in one transaction.

Registrants who register and pay are eligible for a full refund until January 22, 2027. If unable to attend, registrants may choose a full credit note for themselves or a colleague to attend another event, or a full refund; all cancellations and changes must be submitted to [email protected] by January 22, 2027.

A limited number of rooms are available at a negotiated rate at Le Méridien Arlington, 1121 19th St N, Arlington, VA 22209. To access the conference rate, contact the hotel directly at (703) 351-9170 and quote “ACI Trade Investigations Enforcement & Litigation”; the guest room block cut-off date is January 12, 2027, and availability and the negotiated rate cannot be guaranteed after that date or once the block fills.

CLE credit is available. The program is approved for CLE credit by the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board and the State Bar of California, and accreditation will be sought in jurisdictions requested by registrants that have continuing education requirements; approval varies by jurisdiction. The course is identified as nontransitional for CLE accreditation purposes. CPD and CME availability has not been confirmed.