Law360 featured the Covington arrival of Arun Venkataraman, a partner in the firm’s international trade practice who spent the past four years with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In the article, Arun noted that in markets like Washington D.C., firms are evolving into "more problem solvers rather than just law firms” and commented that hiring government officials and other regulatory experts was part of that goal to offer broader solutions-oriented services. But now more than ever, particularly in this field of international trade— you need to have that depth of legal expertise go hand in hand with solid policy judgment, along with some political finesse as well, to truly help clients understand what is happening, what could happen, and how to adjust for what will happen," he said.
Arun considered how Covington’s unique collaborative culture attracts former officials in public service. "It's just not enough for a lawyer on [their] own to try and solve legal problems, and so the fact that that is just ingrained in the culture here is what really drew me here," he said.
In addition, Arun commented on the current administration’s approach to international trade, stating: "I think that shift, the tactics might be different, the approaches might be different, but at its core, there is a sea change that has happened in how we approach questions of international trade and business." To Arun, this means an inherent "steady state of disruption" for clients. Examining the current administration's business disruptions through the use of tariffs, regardless of the administration's objective, means businesses need to be ready to respond, he said.
"That's here to stay for the foreseeable future and so for our companies and for our clients, they're just getting it from all sides, and the things they never had to think about, they now have to think about at the C-suite level," Arun explined. "Things they took for granted, and even companies that used to think about these things as technical issues, these are now existential business issues. These things affect earnings calls."
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