Kerry Contini is a partner in the Firm’s Outbound Trade Practice Group in Washington, DC. She has served as co-chair of the Firm's Pro Bono committee for several years and has managed award-winning pro bono work involving Baker McKenzie professionals in North America, Europe and Asia. She has written on export controls and trade sanctions issues for several publications, including The Export Practitioner and Ethisphere. Kerry is a co-chair of the Export Controls and Sanctions Section of the Association of Women in International Trade. She joined the Firm as a summer associate in 2005 and became a full-time associate in 2006.
Laura is a US-qualified International Trade Associate at Baker McKenzie based in London, where she advises individuals and multinational companies on a variety of international trade regulatory matters involving US, UK, and EU export controls and economic sanctions. Laura regularly assists clients in understanding and navigating the complex regulatory regime governing trade and investment in countries such as Iran, Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, and Cuba. She previously worked in Washington, DC and has experience representing clients before relevant senior policymakers in the US Treasury, State, and Commerce Departments as well as the US Congress. In 2018, Laura was named an Atlantic Council Millennium Fellow. As part of the fellowship, Laura has traveled to Turkey, Greece, Belgium, Venezuela, and the UAE, to discuss current foreign policy issues and implications for international cooperation and business. Laura is a dual national and fluent in French.
Ben Smith is a Partner in Baker McKenzie’s London office and a member of the firm’s Compliance & Investigations and International Trade practice groups. Both these practices are ranked Tier 1 by Legal 500 UK. Ben joined the London office of Baker & McKenzie in September 2007. He has also worked in Baker McKenzie's San Francisco and Brussels offices, as well as on secondment to the legal and compliance teams at three FTSE 100 UK plcs. The Legal 500 UK ranked Ben as a “Rising Star”, noting “Ben Smith is a pleasure to work with. Professional, knowledgeable and always ready to assist with practical solutions.”
Ross Denton is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s European Community, Competition & Trade Department in London and member of the Baker McKenzie Japanese Practice Group. He also served as coordinator of the Firm’s International Trade & WTO Practice Group. Ross routinely advises US and Japanese multinationals on EU and UK competition matters and international trade law issues. In addition to his practice, Ross contributes to a number of publications, including Laws of the European Communities and Encyclopedia of Information Technology. He is a member of the UK Customs Practitioners Group and the World Trade Lawyers Association.