Deanna Okun is an international trade lawyer whose former experience as a US ITC Commissioner and Chair informs her legal and strategic international trade policy advice. She supports companies where innovation confronts barriers, such as intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices, or regulatory hurdles.

Deanna’s practice involves all aspects of unfair trade litigation and trade remedy advocacy. Her Section 337 work includes all stages of litigation at the ITC from pre-institution consultation to post-remedy enforcement with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Her clients range from Fortune 500 companies protecting leading edge technologies to Small and Medium Enterprises confronting rampant infringement by foreign competitors. She also represents companies in Title VII antidumping and countervailing duty investigations before the ITC and Department of Commerce (DOC). Deanna’s work in trade remedy proceedings on behalf of U.S. companies extends to previously rarely used trade statutes, including Section 201, 232, and 301 investigations. Deanna participated in one of only two Section 201 investigations in the past twenty years, winning a successful remedy for her client. She works closely with contacts in the executive, judicial and legislative branches of the government to create innovative solutions to her clients’ legal and business challenges.

Deanna has extensive experience as a top administrator, regulator, enforcer, legislative aide and lawyer. She served two terms as Chairman during her twelve years of service as a member of the ITC. During her tenure as a Commissioner, she ruled on hundreds of cases involving allegations of patent, trademark and copyright infringement, antidumping and countervailing duty, global safeguard investigations under the Trade Act of 1974, including investigations under Section 201 and the China-specific safeguard investigations under Section 421. Prior to her appointment to the ITC, she served as counsel for international affairs to U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the Finance and Foreign Relations Committees, and practiced international trade law with a large Washington, D.C.-based law firm.

In 2012, Deanna was named the Outstanding Woman of the Year by the Association of Women in International Trade, a chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade. In 2022, for the tenth consecutive year, Managing Intellectual Property named Deanna one of the Top 250 Women in IP. Deanna is also on the 2022-2023 USMCA Binational Panel Roster.

Education

  • Duke University School of Law (J.D., with honors)
    • Alaska Law Review, Executive Editor
  • Utah State University (B.A., magna cum laude)

    Bar Admission

    • District of Columbia

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Intellectual Property Law Association
    • American Bar Association
    • American Conference Institute’s Annual Expert Forum on ITC Litigation and Enforcement (Advisory Board)
    • Customs and International Trade Bar Association (Board of Directors and 2022-2023 Treasurer)
    • Federal Circuit Bar Association
    • ITC Trial Lawyers Association
    • Georgetown Law International Trade Update (Advisory Board)
    • Trade Policy Forum
    • Washington International Trade Association
    • The Association of Women in International Trade
    • 2024-2025 Roster for USMCA Binational Panels (U.S.), roster member since 2019

    Recognition

    • Named "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation, 2025-2026
    • Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® for:
      • Litigation - Patent, 2026
      • International Trade and Finance Law, 2025-2026
    • Selected for inclusion in the IAM Patent 1000 list of the World's Leading Patent Practitioners, 2024-2025, D.C. Metro Area - Recommended - Bronze Litigation
    • Selected for inclusion in Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, 2024
    • Federal Circuit Bar Association President's Award Recipient, 2023
    • Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars – Patent Star and Trademark Star, 2022, 2024-2025
    • Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars – Top 250 Women in IP, 2022
    • Ranked in Chambers Global: World’s Leading Lawyers, International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337), Nationwide, 2025-2026
    • Ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337), Nationwide, 2006-2025
    • The Legal 500, Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation (International Trade Commission), 2022
    • The Legal 500 Hall of Fame Intellectual Property: Patents Litigation (International Trade Commission), 2022
    • Patexia, Top 10 – Most Active ITC Section 337 Attorney, 2022
    • Patexia, Top 10 – Best Performing ITC Section 337 Attorney, 2022
    • Super Lawyers, 2022
    Publications
    IEEPA Refund Portal Opens on April 20: What Importers Should Know About Filing, Timing and Liquidity Options
    Key Takeaways U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will launch Phase 1 of CAPE on April 20, giving many importers their first access to the ACE-based path to request IEEPA duty refunds. More complicated entries – including those involving certain AD/CVD orders, protests, drawback, reconciliation and liquidated entries that are more than 80 days past liquidation – remain outside Phase 1 or will follow a different timeline. Importers and brokers should act now to confirm ACE portal access, ACH/electronic refund enrollment, U.S. bank account information and entry eligibility before submitting CAPE declarations. CBP also has made clear that filers may not initiate an IEEPA refund request through a Post Summary Correction (PSC). Timing of refund declaration processing will vary. For many standard accepted entries, CBP
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    CBP to Launch Phase One of CAPE for IEEPA Refunds on April 20
    Key Takeaways U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will launch the first phase of its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) tool to process International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duty refunds on April 20. Phase one is limited to most unliquidated entries and entries within 80 days of liquidation, while more complex scenarios will be addressed in later phases as more functionality is added to the CAPE system. Importers and brokers should prepare now by confirming ACE Portal access, ensuring that their U.S. bank account information is accurate and up to date, and identifying entries eligible for phase one processing.  On April 10, 2026, CBP issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service Number 68315804, announcing that the first phase of CAPE will go live
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