As always, when there are big, disruptive policy changes, lawyers are some of the biggest winners. In the case of Brexit, it looks like some of my trade lawyer friends will be among them:
The ripple effect of last week’s Brexit vote continues to be felt in Washington, where the city’s bevy of lawyers and lobbyists are working around the clock to advise corporations bracing for the fallout from Britain’s historic decision to exit the European Union.
Several large law firms set up Brexit task forces and hotlines to respond to the avalanche of calls from companies seeking clarity on whether to move operations out of the United Kingdom, whether to revise contracts and partnerships between U.S. and U.K. companies, and how to position themselves to influence U.S. and European officials as they prepare to structure yet-to-be-determined trade rules the U.K. will adhere to in the new world order.
“We’re really in uncharted territory with the breakup of the U.K. and the E.U.,” said Hal Shapiro, a trade attorney at Akin Gump and former lawyer at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Akin Gump launched an internal Brexit task force last week and plans to publish a ”Beyond Brexit” blog this week as a resource for corporate clients.
