Biography

Frances P. Hadfield is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's International Trade Group in the firm's New York office. Her practice focuses on customs litigation and regulatory compliance. She regularly advises corporations on both litigation and regulatory matters involving customs compliance, audits, customs enforcement, as well as import penalties.

Frances represents clients before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as in proceedings at the administrative level. She advises corporations on both substantive federal and state regulatory issues that involve U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife in matters pertaining to product admissibility, audits, classification, import restrictions, investigations, marking, licenses, origin, penalties, and tariff preference programs.

Frances has assisted clients in a broad array of industries (e.g., agricultural, apparel and footwear, automotive, cameras, electronics, equipment and machinery, glassware, household goods, lighting, petroleum, and hand tools), providing creative tariff solutions and duty recovery options that enable clients to obtain significant duty savings.

Moreover, in enforcement instances she has worked to mitigate substantially proposed customs penalties.

Frances was also a law clerk to the Honorable Evan J. Wallach at the U.S. Court of International Trade. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, she was an attorney at a boutique customs practice in New York City for over ten years. She is a licensed customs broker and has taught tariff classification and customs valuation.

Representative Experience

Led three-day bench trial at U.S. Court of International Trade involving six fact witnesses and two expert witnesses resulting in a duty decrease for cotton shelf brassiere tank tops from 16.5 percent ad valorem to 10.8 percent ad valorem.

Settled $1.5 million defective apparel goods case.

Settled importer's trademark infringement case regarding handbags at the S.D.N.Y.

Assists clients with establishing import compliance programs.

Recent Speaking Engagements

"Corporate Responsibility: Child Labor and Sustainability: Overview of International Treaties  and U.S. Laws Affecting Child Labor and Sustainability Issues," Federal Bar Association's 2017  Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (Feb. 10, 2017) Panelist: Preetha Chakrabarti.
Moderator: Frances P. Hadfield

PRACTICES

  • International Trade
  • Litigation & Trial
  • Regulatory & Policy
  • Customs Law
  • Fashion Law

Admissions/Affiliations

Admitted to practice:

New York,

U.S. Court of International Trade,

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York,

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, United States Supreme Court

Other Memberships

Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA)

Co-Chair, CITBA Trial and Appellate Practice Committee (2012-Present)