H. R. Bert Peña has more than 30 years of legal experience in Washington, D.C. His practice focuses on legislative and regulatory matters before the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, including the White House, the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Treasury. Peña represents domestic and multinational organizations, trade associations, municipalities, counties and individuals with interests in a variety of areas, including domestic and international agriculture and trade policy, food safety, crop insurance, intellectual property rights, government contracts, contract disputes with foreign governments, international commercial transactions, financial services, franchise law, tax, environmental regulations, energy, health care, education, farm credit, and commodity futures trading commission regulations. He also represents clients from the EU, Canada, and Spanish-speaking countries of the Western Hemisphere and Spain with legal, regulatory and commercial issues in North America.

Representative Experience

Addressed the food and agriculture section of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland on the topic of the potential for terrorism in the food sector (1991).

Advised the Government of Panama on its negotiations with the U.S. government on all agriculture sector issues during the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

Twice served as a senior lawyer to one of the major standing committees for the U.S. House of Representatives - first as subcommittee counsel to the Subcommittee on Department Investigation Oversight and Research (1977-1980) and later as chief of staff to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture (1988-1990), with overall responsibility for all of the legislative and administrative issues before the 49-member committee.

Served as legislative counsel for a major pharmaceutical and consumer products company for eight years, where he coordinated the company's legislative efforts in the areas of tax (IRS Code, Section 936), health, international trade, intellectual property rights, state government affairs, and company-wide grassroots lobbying efforts.

Represented clients before the Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on food safety issues.

Work Experience

Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP, 2013-present