Chris Cloutier
is a partner in the King & Spalding International Trade Practice Group and advises clients on a wide range of international trade, market access, and regulatory matters.
Mr. Cloutier joined the firm in 2005 after more than three years with the United States Embassy in Beijing, China. While in China, Mr. Cloutier appeared frequently on behalf of the United States in Chinese government trade proceedings and in negotiations with the Chinese government. He also counseled U.S. companies on issues relating to doing business in China.
Mr. Cloutier formerly served as the Acting Deputy Director of Trade Remedy Compliance at the U.S. Department of Commerce and participated in free trade area negotiations with the governments of Australia and Singapore. During law school he served as a law clerk to Vice President Al Gore.
Since joining King & Spalding, Mr. Cloutier has counseled clients involved in trade proceedings in jurisdictions including Australia, Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the United States, and Taiwan. He also advises private companies and governments on dispute settlement before the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
In the United States, Mr. Cloutier has represented clients before federal and state courts, NAFTA panels, and in binding arbitration. He also has advised clients in dealings with federal agencies including the Departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and Commerce, as well as the International Trade Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Mr. Cloutier also has conducted numerous internal corporate investigations related to anti-bribery and anti-trust laws.
Mr. Cloutier is conversant in both Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. He studied at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, was a Ministry of Education Scholar at Kyushu University in Japan, and also attended Temple University Law School Japan. Mr. Cloutier currently serves as the Director of Kyushu University’s Washington, D.C., office. He has spoken on trade-related issues in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
