TED MURPHY, co-leader of Sidley's Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice, counsels companies and trade associations on international trade and customs law. In particular, he advises clients on international trade, trade policy, and customs compliance issues, including actions brought under Sections 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and other customs-related laws. Ted is a frequent speaker on international trade and customs compliance-related topics at seminars, and he is routinely recognized by Chambers and other legal ranking publications as a leading practitioner.

Ted advises clients on all substantive issues handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including complex customs valuation matters, free trade agreement qualification, tariff classification, special program, and forced labor issues. He assists clients in developing and implementing effective compliance programs to help ensure that reasonable care is exercised over import matters. Ted regularly conducts internal compliance reviews, prepares detailed prior disclosures and compliance improvement plans, and represents clients in customs compliance audits and enforcement actions, including both CBP and Homeland Security Investigations. Ted also advises clients on related requirements administered by other agencies, including “Made in USA” claims governed by the Federal Trade Commission regulations and government procurement origin determinations under various statutes, including the Buy American Act of 1933, the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and others.

Ted regularly provides customs and related international trade advice in connection with corporate restructurings and mergers and acquisitions, and advises clients on trade-related legislative matters. He frequently works with colleagues in other practices and in other jurisdictions on multidisciplinary customs compliance issues, such as the intersection between transfer pricing and customs valuation, IP licensing, and other issues.

Ted also represents clients before other U.S. federal agencies involved in international trade, including the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. International Trade Commission, as well as before the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Ted was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to serve on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation (ITAC 14) for the 2010–2014 and 2014–2018 terms.

Ted has been honored as a leading customs compliance practitioner by Chambers USA (Band 1) (2013–2024), Chambers Global (USA) (Band 1) (2016–2025), Who’s Who Legal: Trade & Customs (2019–2022), Euromoney’s Best of the Best USA Expert Guide 2022: International Trade, Legal 500, and other legal ranking publications.

MICHAEL BORDEN leads the Government Strategies group, leveraging his considerable prior government experience to help leading institutions and individual clients navigate the most difficult crises involving government oversight. One of his strengths is developing nuanced, effective strategies to manage high profile and high stakes Congressional investigations and inquiries. Michael also provides lobbying assistance and strategic advice on policy matters to clients in a wide range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, life sciences, media, technology, automotive, retail, and agriculture.

Counseling international clients is a cornerstone of Michael’s practice, and he has considerable experience advising foreign clients that are seeking to invest, expand, or operate in the United States. He helps clients navigate the myriad legislative and regulatory regimes impacting foreign companies and, when intervention becomes necessary, facilitates communication with U.S. federal and state agencies, as well as industry and trade associations. Michael has assisted foreign- and U.S.-headquartered companies manage the risks or fallout from U.S. government sanctions and red flag lists, and has prepared many of these clients to face not only U.S. congressional inquiries but also UK parliamentary inquiries and related legislation.

Michael joined the firm after working for almost a decade on Capitol Hill, including as senior counsel of the House Financial Services Committee during the financial crisis and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of banking, financial institutions, and government-sponsored enterprise policy for House Republicans. Michael managed issues related to bank safety and soundness, the resolution of systemically important financial institutions as well as consumer access to credit. He directed efforts to enhance the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and he led the broader housing finance reform efforts in the House. Michael organized and crafted legislative amendments to the Dodd-Frank Act; negotiated, managed, and executed the House Republicans’ TARP, auto bailout, subprime lending, and mortgage rescue responses; and he drafted the SAFE Act to establish mortgage origination standards. He worked on the national security review process for investments in the United States, including the enactment of the Foreign Investment and National Security Act. Michael also handled consumer protection matters related to credit card practices, data security, money laundering, and internet gambling.

Prior to his tenure on the House Financial Services Committee, Michael served as a legislative aide to Representative Jim Leach. In that role, he focused on whether Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Farm Credit System, and industrial loan corporations were adequately regulated under existing law. Michael also drafted and led the effort to enact the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Michael has been ranked in Chambers USA for Nationwide Government Relations: Federal as well as Nationwide Government Relations: Congressional Investigations (2022–2024). Clients describe him as “a go-to lawyer” (2022) and “very knowledgeable about the government relations process, which is often complex, nuanced and opaque. He is familiar with the decision-making protocols, which is really helpful to us” (2024).

JAMES MENDENHALL is a partner in Sidley’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy group in in Washington, D.C., concentrating on proceedings before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), international arbitration, international trade policy, and international trade litigation. Jim has advised private strategic investors, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and U.S. businesses in connection with CFIUS-related matters. James has been recognized by Chambers Global (USA) (2022–2025) and Chambers USA (2019–2024) in International Trade: CFIUS Experts. He has also been named a Top Advisor on CFIUS-related matters by Foreign Investment Watch.

Jim has also served as counsel in numerous investor-state arbitration proceedings, including under ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitration rules. He has advised clients on international trade negotiations, market access issues, intellectual property policy, product standards, trade policy, national security regulations and U.S. legislative matters. He has represented clients across many sectors, including e-commerce, high-tech, pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications and consumer goods.

From 2005 to January 2007, Jim served as the General Counsel of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In that capacity, Jim supervised U.S. participation in World Trade Organization and NAFTA disputes and handled all legal aspects of U.S. bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations.

From 2003 to 2005, Jim served as the Assistant United States Trade Representative (AUSTR) for Services, Investment and Intellectual Property. While serving as AUSTR, he oversaw bilateral and regional trade agreement negotiations dealing with services (including financial services), investment and intellectual property, and World Trade Organization negotiations related to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and WTO agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Jim was responsible for monitoring the adoption and enforcement of laws to protect the rights of U.S. owners of intellectual property in countries around the world.

From 2001–2003, Jim served as USTR’s Deputy General Counsel. In that capacity, he handled numerous trade litigation, negotiation and legislative matters, including the development of the model investment chapter for U.S. free trade agreements that became the template for the 2004 U.S. model bilateral investment treaty.

Prior to joining the U.S. Government, Jim spent nine years in private practice, concentrating in the areas of trade remedies litigation, international arbitration, trade policy and litigation before World Trade Organization panels.

Jim has testified before Congress on multiple occasions related to free trade agreement negotiations, intellectual property protection in foreign markets, trade in services and financial services and other matters.

Cheng Wang is the Chairman of AmCham Shanghai Legal Committee and the General Counsel of Express (Hangzhou) Technology Company Limited, a joint venture of American Express in China. Cheng heads the Legal Department of Express Company and oversees all legal matters in its business operations. Prior to joining Express Company, Cheng was the Head of Legal for Greater China of an international investment bank. Under his leadership, the Legal and Compliance Department of the investment bank won the Asia Legal Business Investment Bank In-House Team of the Year for three consecutive years and was included in the GC Powerlist China 2019 by The Legal 500. Cheng holds an LL.M. degree from the University of Michigan Law School and an LL.B. degree from the Law School of Shanghai University of International Business and Economics. He is admitted to the bar of the State of New York and qualified as a lawyer in China. He is a member of the Special Committee of the Shanghai Bar Association. He also co-authored a legal text book on international business law.