2026 WITA Academy Virtual Intensive Trade Seminar

Tom Beline is a partner in Cassidy Levy Kent’s Washington DC office. Tom identifies creative ways for clients to benefit from import regulatory compliance and policy, trade remedies, and international trade litigation.

Tom’s representative experience involves appearing as lead counsel for clients in various and wide-ranging industries before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) binational panels.  Tom regularly advises clients on compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and navigating the dispute settlement process.  Tom regularly provides counsel to companies on complying with, and benefiting from, trade and customs regulation before U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Tom’s work includes prosecuting and defending trade actions in the United States and abroad, and has litigated trade issues in bankruptcy law and reverse Qui Tam actions.  In addition to this work, Tom has experience counseling clients in navigating U.S. trade restrictions, including in export controls, antiboycott, economic sanctions, and anticorruption laws.

Tom has been appointed by the chief judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade to serve as a member of the Court’s Rules Advisory Committee. Tom has also appeared as a frequent speaker on international trade topics.  Tom is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh.

Felicia Pullam is a global expert on trade, investment, value chain sustainability and social impact, with more than 20 years of experience working with international companies on these mission critical issues. She brings that experience to her role as Senior Director, Geo-Commerce in APCO’s Washington office, where she leads APCO’s Center for Trade, Investment and Market Access.

Prior to joining APCO, Felicia was the executive director of the Office of Trade Relations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is CBP’s primary point of contact for private sector and stakeholder engagement. As an advisor to the commissioner, Felicia worked on a wide range of trade challenges, including tariffs and trade remedies, forced labor, de minimis reform and illicit trade.

Felicia has worked on bipartisan trade and investment from both the state and federal perspective: she has served in the Office of Delaware Governor Jack Markell, as well as at the Maryland Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the Obama administration, Felicia helped steer SelectUSA, a presidential initiative housed within Commerce, through a high-pressure start-up phase to promote the United States as the leading global destination for foreign direct investment. Felicia was then appointed to be the deputy assistant secretary for textiles, consumer goods and materials, where she managed three offices to analyze and implement trade policy covering a large swath of the global economy.

Outside of government service, Felicia served as the director of strategy at the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade in China, leading the Asia regional corporate responsibility and sustainability practice for APCO, working closely with colleagues across greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. Felicia got her start as a Princeton in Asia Fellow, followed by a yearlong adventure as the tutor and translator for actress Zhang Ziyi. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University.

The Honorable Kelly Ann Shaw is a partner in Akin’s lobbying and public policy practice. She is recognized as one of the world’s leading international trade, global economics, and national security advisors. Her practice focuses on the complex intersection of trade, supply chains, and geopolitics, including tariff and customs issues, forced labor (UFLPA), national security measures, investment restrictions, World Trade Organization (WTO) litigation, as well as arctic, energy, global financial, and industrial policies.

Kelly Ann spent a decade in government service, holding a number of high-profile and influential roles as a senior U.S. negotiator, litigator, diplomat, and policy advisor. Most recently, she served as President Trump’s Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, where she was one of the key architects of the administration’s trade, investment, energy, and national security policies. She was also the United States’ lead negotiator (Sherpa) for the G7, G20, and APEC, and a key negotiator of the U.S.-China Phase One Deal, among others.

Prior to the White House, Shaw served as Trade Counsel to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and as Assistant General Counsel for USTR in Washington, D.C., and Geneva. She has represented the U.S. in more than 40 WTO disputes and served as a lead negotiator for several major U.S. trade negotiations.

Shaw has been named one of Washington, D.C.’s Most Influential People by Washingtonian Magazine for four consecutive years (2022-2025), a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500, and recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America. She has testified multiple times before the U.S. Congress and has been a frequent media commentator for outlets around the world. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, a senior advisor (non-resident) for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and as a U.S. appointee to the USMCA Chapter 10 Dispute Settlement Panel Roster.

Nasim Fussell serves as Vice President of Trade and International at Business Roundtable, where she leads the organization’s efforts to advance policies that promote U.S. economic growth through international trade and investment.

Prior to joining Business Roundtable, Nasim was a Senior Vice President at a government relations and public affairs firm, where she led the organization’s International Trade practice.

Before that, Nasim held senior roles in both chambers of Congress. She served as Chief International Trade Counsel for the Senate Finance Committee under Chairman Chuck Grassley, and as Deputy Chief International Trade Counsel under Chairman Orrin Hatch. In the House, she was Trade Counsel for the Ways and Means Committee under Chairmen Brady, Ryan and Camp. Throughout her tenure on the Hill, Nasim contributed to major legislative initiatives including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Trade Promotion Authority, and customs modernization reforms, among others.

Nasim also brings private sector experience from her work as a partner at a global law firm, as well as in-house roles at multinational companies and a cross-sector trade association. She began her legal career at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Nasim currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). She holds an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from the George Washington University Law School, a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan.

Kate Kalutkiewicz, Senior Managing Director, leads the McLarty trade practice and contributes to the firm’s Europe practice and McLarty Inbound.Kate has managed complex challenges around global trade, industrial, and investment policy for over two decades. Her experience spans roles in government, particularly in Europe and South America, where she honed her skills in negotiating complex international agreements and navigating the nuance around public-private sector interactions.

Kate most recently served as Head of US Trade Policy for Amazon, where she advocated a broad range of international trade and economic issues with the US Government, touching several sectors, including retail, creative content production and distribution, cloud services, sustainable fleet, autos, and hardline manufacturing.

Prior to that, Kate served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Trade at the National Economic Council, where she developed and led US trade policy initiatives. During her White House tenure, she led interagency teams responsible for the US G7 Presidency and US positions on supply chain resiliency and support for the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before serving in the White House, Kate was the Senior Trade Representative at the US Mission to the European Union from 2016-2020. While in Brussels, she was the USTR’s primary interlocutor with the European Commission and Member State authorities responsible for trade.

Before her time in Brussels, Kate held the role of USTR’s Director for European Affairs (2011-2016) and served as Associate Chief Negotiator for the US in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations. She began her career at USTR as its Director for Brazil and the Southern Cone (2007-2011), where she was the principal agency representative for implementing and managing US trade policy in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Prior to USTR, Kate was a legislative assistant in the office of Senator James Talent (R-MO), where she supported the Senator on issues related to trade, foreign policy, homeland security, immigration, and the judiciary.

Michael J. Smart is a Managing Director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, where he focuses on international trade and investment policy, including market access and regulatory matters. He also advises multinational companies on sanctions, supply chain policy, and trade-related climate measures.

Mr. Smart previously served as Trade Counsel on the Democratic staff of the US Senate Committee on Finance. In that role, he advised Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and members of the committee on various trade matters, including World Trade Organization negotiations and dispute settlement, free trade agreements, agricultural trade, and the trade aspects of legislation to address climate change.

Before joining the Finance Committee, Mr. Smart was Director for International Trade and Investment on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House. Mr. Smart focused on the Doha Development Agenda, trade in financial services, free trade agreements, and bilateral investment treaties. He also served as the lead White House staff for cabinet-level dialogues with Brazil and India.

Mr. Smart was previously an associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, where his practice focused on international trade and investment policy and dispute resolution. He represented companies and governments in WTO, investment treaty, and NAFTA disputes. Earlier in his career, Mr. Smart was Legislative Director for former Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND).

Mr. Smart has appeared on CNN International, BBC News, Bloomberg News, and Channel News Asia and has been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, and Financial Times.

Mr. Smart is a member of the Executive Circle of the Institute of International Economic Affairs at The George Washington University and a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington International Trade Association. Mr. Smart received his BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude) and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude).

Tim Keeler joined Mayer Brown after a varied career in the U.S. Government, serving at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Treasury Department (which chairs CFIUS), and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. He advises and advocates for clients on high-profile international trade law and policy, including investigations and tariff actions by USTR under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974; safeguard investigations and tariff remedies by the International Trade Commission (ITC) and USTR under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974; the consistency of various legal regimes, or proposed laws, with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and other international legal obligations; international trade negotiations in the WTO, Free Trade Agreements, and other arrangements; and WTO and other trade agreement litigation.

Keeler previously served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009, where he oversaw implementation of U.S. policy, strategy, and negotiations across all aspects of international trade and investment matters. He worked on a number of key issues during this time, including climate change and trade, U.S.-China relations, WTO negotiations and litigation, free trade agreement negotiations and implementation, and CFIUS decisions.

Before joining USTR, Keeler spent more than five years at the Treasury Department, from 2001 to 2006. He joined the Office of Legislative Affairs in 2001 as Deputy to the Assistant Secretary for International Issues, where he was responsible for Treasury’s legislative strategy on issues including CFIUS, foreign exchange rate policy testimony, appropriations for U.S. funding of the World Bank, and U.S. participation in the International Monetary Fund. He later managed the Office of Legislative Affairs from 2002 to 2006, assisting on all policy and personnel issues in the office, including leading Treasury nominees through the U.S. Senate confirmation process and legislative strategy on Treasury intelligence and anti-terrorist financing matters.

Keeler also served on the Presidential Transition Team in 2000 to 2001 as a policy coordinator on export control and trade remedy policy, handling the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Export Administration (now the Bureau of Industry and Security) and the International Trade Commission. Earlier in his career, from 1998 to 2000, he served as a professional staff member for international trade on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee under Chairman William V. Roth (R-DE).

In recognition of his government service, Keeler was awarded the USTR Distinguished Service Award, the Treasury Distinguished Service Award, and the Treasury Secretary’s Honor Award twice. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington International Trade Association, and has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, co-teaching a course on U.S. and WTO law, policy, and politics in the School of Law, as well as teaching in the School of Foreign Service.

The Honorable Nazak Nikakhtar brings over two decades of experience in international trade and national security to help clients succeed in the domestic and global marketplace. Through leadership roles in the U.S. government and private sector, Nazak has leveraged her valuable insights into the expansive range of U.S. and international laws, regulatory and policy processes, and federal agency resources, including by identifying and securing strategic government funding opportunities, to achieve clients’ business objectives.

From 2018 to 2021, with unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Nazak served as the Department of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary for Industry & Analysis at the International Trade Administration (ITA). Nazak also served the duties of the Under Secretary for Industry and Security at Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). In these roles, Nazak was the agency’s primary liaison with U.S. industry and trade associations, and she shaped major initiatives to strengthen U.S. industry competitiveness, promote innovation, and accelerate economic and job growth.

As one of the key national security experts in the U.S. government, she developed and implemented innovative laws, regulations, and policies to safeguard strategically important technologies, strengthen the U.S. industrial base, and protect the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. As the Department’s lead on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), she played a key role in shaping U.S. investment policy. As the head of the agency’s trade policy office, she advised the U.S. government on legal and economic issues impacting critical technologies, advanced manufacturing, financial services, e-commerce, data privacy, cybersecurity, critical minerals/rare earths, and energy competition. Finally, as the federal agency’s lead on supply chain assessments, Nazak spearheaded the United States’ first-ever whole-of-government initiative to evaluate and strengthen supply chains across all strategic sectors of the economy.