NEIL ELLIS focuses his practice in the areas of international trade regulation and antitrust.

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In the international trade area, Neil has represented foreign and domestic companies, manufacturers, exporters and importers before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission and the federal courts in import regulatory proceedings. He has represented clients in some of the most complex and controversial anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguards cases for over 30 years.

 

A sample of Neil’s representations includes products such as: solar cells and modules (China, Taiwan), anti-friction bearings (Japan), steel (Japan, Netherlands, Russia, India, England), lumber (Canada), washing machines (Korea), newspaper printing presses (Japan), uranium (former Soviet Union), fertilizer products (Russia), chemical products (China, Japan, Pakistan), seafood (India), paper products (Canada, India, Indonesia), and aluminum (Germany). In highly political “non-market economy” cases, he has provided advice in the negotiation of suspension agreements to settle the anti-dumping disputes. 

 

Neil also has extensive experience advising governments and companies on the use of the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve trade disputes, particularly in the areas of anti-dumping and countervailing duties. He has participated in all stages of WTO litigation, including consultations, panel and Appellate Body proceedings, compliance proceedings and arbitrations.

 

In the antitrust area, Neil has advised a range of clients, including multinational corporations and trade associations, regarding compliance with federal antitrust rules, and has advised U.S. and foreign companies in the federal merger review process. He also represented companies involved in civil investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and in federal and state private antitrust litigation.

 

Before entering private practice, Neil worked in the Appellate Section of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he briefed and argued antitrust and administrative law cases in the U.S. courts of appeals. Neil was also a full-time law professor at Hofstra University in New York, where he taught courses in the areas of international trade and maritime law. He speaks regularly at conferences on international trade topics and has published articles on trade and antitrust.

 

Neil was recognized by the 2016 and 2017 editions of Chambers USA for his “matter-of-fact” style, which “in a very complicated area, makes it seem very elementary.” The 2020 edition of Chambers USA has sources pointing to his “longstanding experience in this field" as a key strength. He was also listed in Chambers USA from 2022 to 2024. He has consistently been recommended by The Legal 500. Neil has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Trade and Customs Lawyers every year since 2005. Clients in the 2019 edition mention that he “has an excellent ability to present in-depth insights and reasonable alternatives that analyze the core of issues in a timely manner.”

 

In the 2016 edition, he was appraised as someone “who provides extremely practical advice on an urgent basis,” as well as being “a pleasure to work with on a personal level.” He has been listed as a “Best Lawyer” by The Best Lawyers in America in International Trade and Finance Law from 2012 to 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025.