Keller and Heckman's government relations practice group recognizes that successful interaction with governmental and key quasi governmental and other international bodies is integral to an effective global business strategy. The practice group combines legislative and political experience with significant regulatory and industry expertise drawing, where necessary, on our team of chemists and toxicologists.
Our government relations practice group includes former Congressional and agency staff with a broad range of experience in Congress and the Executive Branch. One primary focus of our government relations practice involves complex questions affecting the food, drug, biotechnology, chemicals and plastics industries, and their customers, areas where our staff scientists play a central role in our work. Our technical expertise is equally important in advocating on consumer product safety questions, which increasingly involve questions on the safety of chemicals, heavy metals or other metals, used in consumer products, particularly children's products. We also advocate on issues related to marketing, including advertising and marketing, privacy, data security and e-commerce.
Domestic Government Relations
When helping clients interact with the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch agencies, our attorneys rely on their collective regulatory and legislative expertise. Members of our group have often spent considerable time working within government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, or as key Congressional staff, giving us an in-depth understanding of the workings of Congress, as well as Executive Branch agencies, to benefit clients' business and legal endeavors.
We work closely with clients to provide comments on proposed agency rules that affect our clients' interests, members of the practice group use their extensive contacts within Executive Branch agencies and Congress to provide clients with much needed information about pending agency actions that may affect their interests. Keller and Heckman also represents clients before Executive Branch agencies and Congress on key policy issues under discussion.
We also serve clients by acting as their representatives at government sponsored training seminars and meetings and we sponsor training seminars and meetings to benefit our clients, often in conjunction with key agency officials. Clients call upon Keller and Heckman to assist them in drafting federal and state legislation, providing in-depth analysis of pending legislation and regulatory actions, monitoring the development of pending legislation and regulatory actions, and advancing our clients' positions before relevant government bodies.
International Government Relations
In addition to facilitating relationships between our clients and the U.S. government, Keller and Heckman has been highly successful in facilitating relationships between clients and international governments, the European Union, and bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Using its expertise in science and food and drug law, Keller and Heckman's government relations practice group has become a leader in the field of international regulatory and governmental relations.
Members of the government relations practice group experienced in the area of international trade law have represented clients in proceedings before the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission. Members of the practice group are also experts in the interpretation and application of international trade agreements, such as GATT and NAFTA, as well as international environmental treaties such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. We apply this experience to help clients negotiate successfully with foreign governments and trading partners in bilateral and multilateral settings.
Members of the government relations practice group have also represented clients before foreign governments, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, and committees of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, as well as before international self-regulatory bodies. We work with industry bodies such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and others. Our attorneys are also experts at negotiating with these organizations on behalf of our clients.
Keller and Heckman has a wealth of practical, legal, political and scientific expertise in both international and domestic government relations. We help clients identify and address legal and regulatory challenges in an effort to move their business forward.
