David M. Spooner focuses his practice on international trade matters, advising clients in trade remedy and safeguard proceedings, helping clients navigate the complex rules of international trade and representing clients before the legislative and executive branches of government.

Prior to joining Squire Sanders, Mr. Spooner served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration. In that capacity, Mr. Spooner led government enforcement of trade remedy laws, principally the antidumping and antisubsidy laws. He administered the Foreign Trade Zone system; supervised the US Department of Commerce’s import safety initiatives; oversaw apparel trade policy and the implementation of laws governing trade in apparel; managed trade remedy negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as dispute resolution proceedings at the WTO; and chaired US-China talks on macroeconomic reforms and the steel industry. His achievements include the first-ever application of the antisubsidy law to China and the negotiation of an agreement with Russia governing trade in uranium products.

Prior to his Senate confirmation as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Spooner served as the Textile and Apparel Negotiator and Transition Coordinator in the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). While at USTR, Mr. Spooner was a principal negotiator for free trade agreements with Central America, the Dominican Republic, Singapore, Australia, Chile, Panama, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Colombia and Peru, principally negotiating customs enforcement, apparel and textile, origin and safeguard provisions. He was heavily involved in building support for congressional passage of the Bush Administration’s trade agenda. Mr. Spooner also negotiated a comprehensive apparel trade agreement with China and concluded bilateral customs and quota arrangements with several nations.

Before his appointment to USTR, Mr. Spooner worked on Capitol Hill, managing the Washington DC office and serving as the legislative director and press secretary for a member of Congress, serving as Communications Director for the US House Committee on Agriculture, and working for the US House Committee on Rules, which manages debate and amendments in the House of Representatives.