Lydia C. Pardini, a former senior attorney at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance, advises manufacturers and importers regarding issues at the intersection of unfair trade and trade remedies, import regulatory compliance, and international trade policy. She helps companies from a diverse spectrum of industry sectors evaluate supply chain risks, identify beneficial opportunities, create effective trade compliance programs, and resolve issues practically and efficiently when they arise.

Drawing on her prior government experience, Lydia helps clients navigate complex U.S. trade investigations. She regularly represents clients in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations before the Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission, Section 201 safeguard proceedings, Section 232 national security investigations, and Section 301 retaliatory actions. Lydia appears on behalf of clients in trade litigation before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She has argued trade disputes before, and advises clients regarding, multilateral dispute settlement panels under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In addition, Lydia is a licensed Customs Broker. She works with clients to identify and resolve issues involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, and the agency’s penalty and enforcement proceedings. Using her deep understanding of trade remedies proceedings, Lydia advises clients regarding customs entry and liquidation issues arising from those proceedings, as well as concerns regarding the scope, circumvention, and evasion of trade remedies orders.

Lydia has served on the USMCA Binational Panel Roster since 2021. She is actively involved in several international trade associations and multilateral institutions, where she holds leadership roles, including serving as a section co-chair. In addition, Lydia is a Board Member of the Association of Women in International Trade.

Prior to joining the firm, Lydia was a partner at an international trade boutique, as well as a senior attorney at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance. Lydia was recognized on numerous occasions for her work for the Department, including being named the 2018 Attorney of the Year in the Office of the Chief Counsel. She received two U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medals, the highest honorary recognition for the distinguished performance the Secretary of Commerce bestowed.

Education

  • Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (J.D., cum laude)
    • Certificate recipient, Comparative and International Law
  • Colby College (B.A., cum laude, International Studies - International Relations/Foreign Policy)

    Bar Admission

    • District of Columbia

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
    • U.S. Court of International Trade
    • U.S. Customs Broker

    Professional Affiliations

    • Association of Women in International Trade, Board Member, Multilateral Institutions Section
    • Customs and International Trade Bar Association, Co-Chair, Customs Committee
    • Washington International Trade Association
    • American Association of Exporters and Importers
    • International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association
    • 2024-2025 Roster for USMCA Binational Panels (U.S.), roster member since 2021

    Recognition

    • Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT DC)'s Committee of the Year Award Recipient, 2024
    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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