WASHINGTON, DC – Practice Advance LLC today released key findings from its 2005 International Trade Practice Report. The report shows continuing growth of Washington trade practices, with 30 firms numbering over 10 attorneys and 12 firms greater than 20 attorneys and professionals.

The five largest trade practice groups are: Miller & Chevalier (41), Steptoe & Johnson (40), Sidley Austin (32), Hogan & Hartson (28), Covington & Burling (25).

Practice Advance analyzed all international trade representations, cases, clients and law firms over the period from January 1, 2004 through July 1, 2005. A highly detailed version of the study's data is available to subscribers online and in print form.

Randy Miller, president of The World Bureau, announced the findings. “Washington trade practice continues to grow. We see several key trends:

    - Practice groups are consolidating and growing.
    - Non-lawyers are planning an increasingly important role.
    - Big clients are spreading their work around.

Trade Group Size
OVERALL: Thirty firms have 10 or more trade lawyers and professionals.
LEADING FIRMS: Miller & Chevalier (41), Steptoe & Johnson (40), Sidley Austin (32), Hogan & Hartson (28), Covington & Burling (25).

Role of Non-Lawyers
OVERALL: Fifty-four trade groups include at least one non-lawyer professional.
LEADING FIRMS: Sandler Travis (9), Crowell & Moring (6), Dewey Ballantine (5), Wilmer Cutler (4), Stewart & Stewart (4).

Clients Hiring Most Firms
OVERALL: Big clients spread their work around. Forty clients hired three or more different firms for trade work during the period covered.
LEADING CLIENTS: 3M (5 firms), U.S. Steel Corporation (5), Ispat Inland, Inc. (5).

Clients With Most Matters
OVERALL: 168 clients appeared in five or more trade proceedings or matters. Not surprisingly, steel clients were most active, followed by Canadian lumber clients.
LEADING CLIENTS: U.S. Steel Corporation (50 proceedings), Nucor Corporation (42), United Steelworkers (36), Allegheny Ludlum (30), International Steel Group Inc. (28), North American Stainless (21).

Firms With Most Matters
OVERALL: Total of 4,880 matters reported.
LEADING FIRMS: Collier Shannon (314), White & Case (156), Wilmer Cutler (126), Willkie Farr (108), Garvey Schubert (105), Schagrin Associates (101), Steptoe & Johnson (101), Hogan & Hartson (96), Miller & Chevalier (95).

Firms With Most Clients
OVERALL: 2,250 clients hired trade lawyers.
LEADING FIRMS: Collier Shannon (133 clients), Grunfeld Desiderio (116), White & Case (115), Wilmer Cutler (85), Garvey Schubert (87), Sandler & Travis (72).

Antidumping Representations
OVERALL: 122 firms represented clients in 1,932 matters.
LEADING FIRMS: Collier Shannon (277), White & Case (109), Garvey Schubert (77), Schagrin & Associates (76), Grunfeld Desiderio (54), Wilmer Cutler (51), Howrey (50), Skadden Arps (39).

Countervailing Duty Representations
OVERALL: 63 firms represented 351 clients in 718 matters.
LEADING FIRMS: Collier Shannon (62 matters), Baker & Hostetler (54), Hughes Hubbard (38), Steptoe & Johnson (37), Howrey (33).

Section 337 Representations
OVERALL: 84 firms represented 286 clients in 337 investigations.
LEADING FIRMS: Adduci (10), Fish Richardson (10), Finnegan Henderson (8), and Miller & Chevalier (9).

Customs Representations
OVERALL: 69 firms represented clients in ruling letters.
LEADING FIRMS: Grunfeld Desiderio (127), Sharretts Paley (75), and Sandler Travis (73).

Legislative and Policy Representations
OVERALL: 57 trade groups registered to lobby Congress and the federal agencies on trade issues.
LEADING FIRMS: Wilmer Cutler (21), Sandler Travis (20), Hogan & Hartson (19), Miller & Chevalier (15), Covington & Burling (11).

Court of International Trade Representations
OVERALL: 59 firms represented clients before the CIT.
LEADING FIRMS: Neville Peterson (13), Collier Shannon (12), White & Case (12), Barnes Richardson (9), and Grunfeld Desiderio (8).

Appellate Court Representations
OVERALL: 34 firms appeared in trade cases before the Federal Circuit Appeals Court.
LEADING FIRMS: Collier Shannon (6), Stewart & Stewart (4), and Barnes Richardson (3).