K&L Gates Adds Pair of International Trade Partners to Washington, D.C., Office

Washington, D.C. – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Nate Bolin and David Allman as partners in its Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice. They join the firm’s Washington, D.C., office from DLA Piper.

Bolin has an extensive background advising on US export controls, economic sanctions, trade remedies, customs and tariffs, and related areas of national security and international trade laws. An appointee to the US State Department’s Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) on the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), he has extensive experience in export control and national security laws impacting emerging technologies in various industries, including the aerospace, defense, semiconductor, oil and gas, medical, and transportation sectors.

Bolin has also successfully litigated more than 100 cases and appellate proceedings involving US trade laws before the US Commerce Department, US International Trade Commission, Court of International Trade, and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Before entering private practice, Bolin was an international trade specialist at the International Trade Administration of the US Commerce Department, where he worked on trade negotiations and trade agreements enforcement and compliance. He also served as a law clerk to the US State Department’s Office of the Legal Advisor in the area of international claims and investment disputes.

With a career spanning more than 15 years, Allman brings a wealth of experience in international trade matters. He focuses his practice on national security law including foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI), export controls, economic sanctions, and anti-corruption policies. Allman counsels multinational corporations across the spectrum of these cross-regulatory regimes. Notably, he played a pivotal role as the lead investigator for an aerospace and defense company under a consent agreement with the US State Department, diligently probing potential violations of export controls. Allman’s distinct career trajectory is further underscored by his military service, including multiple tours in the Middle East encompassing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. This firsthand experience in demanding and complex environments adds a significant dimension to his understanding of international trade and geopolitical nuances.

Allman also holds the position of vice president on the board of the Society for International Affairs (SIA), an all-volunteer organization with a legacy dating back to 1967. In this role, he actively contributes to the organization's mission of educating the international trade community on the multifaceted intricacies of the import and export processes.

Bolin and Allman both regularly advise clients on matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), helping them successfully navigate the complex process and national security issues involving investments and cross-border transactions.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Nate and Dave to our Washington office,” said David Wochner, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Washington, D.C., office. “Their joining builds on our deep commitment to assisting our clients in their engagements with government, and a recognition of the importance of Washington, D.C., to our global clients’ interests.”

The arrival of Bolin and Allman follows the addition of several other new lawyers and policy professionals to the Washington, D.C., office during the last year, including former US Department of Justice lawyers Varu Chilakamarri and Michael Culhane Harper, antitrust partner Vishal Mehta, insurance litigator Geoffrey Greeves, public policy of counsel Joseph Trahern, as well as government affairs advisors Ryan Carney and John Northington Jr.

Michael Scanlon, leader of K&L Gates’ global Policy and Regulatory practice area, commented: “Trade and national security continue to be critical areas for clients with global operations, and Nate and Dave deepen our already strong offering in this key space. We are thrilled to have them join our leading Policy and Regulatory practice area.”

The Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice at K&L Gates is composed of more than 80 lawyers throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The group is positioned in strategic markets around the globe to help clients minimize antitrust risks and ensure compliance, defend or pursue litigation, get deals through regulatory authorities, provide guidance in pricing, distribution, and brand protection challenges, and leverage antitrust and competition laws.