Global Trade Expertise is an international trade consulting and law practice that was founded by Jennifer Kessinger and Tammie Goldstein Krauskopf, consultants and attorneys with over 32 years of combined international trade experience.
Jennifer Kessinger
Principal areas of representation include export classification, export licensing, deemed exports, export management systems, tariff classification, valuation, customs compliance assessments, country of origin marking, and special trade programs (e.g., NAFTA, GSP, U.S. Goods Returned). Jennifer also represents clients in quasi-judicial proceedings before federal agencies and has successfully petitioned for the release and/or mitigation of claims in CBP seizure and penalty cases.
Jennifer has also been admitted to the U.S. Court of International Trade bar and represents clients in litigation before that court.
International Trade Experience
Prior to founding Global Trade Expertise, Jennifer was a Director in the Customs and International Trade practice of one of the Big 4 accounting firms, where she assisted companies involved in import and export activities in taking full advantage of both U.S. and foreign trade laws to minimize their indirect tax liability while ensuring compliance with all applicable government requirements.
Before working as a consultant, Jennifer was a practicing attorney at a well-established law firm in Chicago engaged in the practice of customs and international trade law.
Jennifer began her professional career as a law clerk to the Honorable Jane A. Restani, Judge on the United States Court of International Trade in New York (the federal court with general jurisdiction over customs and international trade matters). As a law clerk, Jennifer assisted Judge Restani in drafting opinions and interpreting the law in the areas of tariff classification, antidumping duties, jurisdiction, etc., to resolve controversies before the court.
Education
Jennifer received her law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, where she was Associate Editor of the Hastings International and Comparative Law Review and received awards in legal writing and moot court competition.
Her studies were enriched through exchange programs at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, and at the René Cassin Institute of International Human Rights in Strasbourg, France and Geneva, Switzerland.
While in law school, Jennifer was an extern to the Honorable Justice Armand Arabian of the California Supreme Court.
Jennifer received her undergraduate degree with honors in Sociology from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Bar Admissions
California State Bar
Illinois State Bar (inactive)
U.S. Court of International Trade
Tammie Goldstein Krauskopf
Tammie Goldstein Krauskopf is an international trade attorney who has over 20 years of experience helping companies develop global strategies to minimize duties and taxes, avoid penalties and build strong compliance programs. Adept at maintaining a balance between a company’s business and marketing objectives and the need to create a strong compliance import/export program, she also provides guidance to corporate executives in various industries including the consumer product, pharmaceutical and food industries.
Tammie proactively represents clients in developing best practices through Benchmark studies, due diligence reviews and duty optimization planning through the analysis of available free trade agreements. She assists companies in the analysis of the benefits of using foreign trade zones (FTZs), economic processing zones and bonded warehouses in the United States, China, the EU, the Philippines, Singapore, Central America and Mexico. She has assisted foreign governments in evaluating the use of FTZs and in negotiating bilateral free trade agreements with the United States. She also helps clients utilize other duty-deferral programs including duty drawback and TIBs and provides assistance with trade security and CTPAT.
Her experience includes customs fraud and seizure cases, prior disclosures, protests, ruling requests, audits and focused assessments. She represents clients regarding various import issues including valuation, tariff classification, NAFTA, country of origin determinations and marking. Tammie provides internal training and assisted companies in the development of internal compliance programs and standard operating procedures.
International Trade Experience
Tammie is an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School and a licensed Customs Broker. Prior to joining Global Trade Expertise, Tammie spent nine years in private practice, as Counsel at Bryan Cave LLP and Special Counsel at Katten Muchin Rosenman. She spent eight years as an attorney with the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service, both in the Office of the Chief Counsel and in the Office of Regulations and Rulings. Tammie was also a Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touche, where she developed the International Trade Practice for the Chicago Office.
Education
Tammie received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh Law School and her Masters in Public and International Affairs at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs where she graduated with highest honors. She received her undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University.
Bar Admissions
Illinois
Pennsylvania
District of Columbia