David R. Stepp

Partner

, Bryan Cave LLP

Los Angeles

Tel

1 310 576 2199

Fax

1 310 260 4199

david.stepp@bryancave.com

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David Stepp’s practice spans a variety of customs and international trade issues, including those related to motor vehicles, steel, textile and apparel products, footwear, retailing, electronic products and other consumer goods. Mr. Stepp's practice focuses on customs compliance and counseling, including tariff classifications, valuation, country of origin marking, Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) participation and other regulatory requirements. His practice includes global customs and international trade audits of multinationals and advice on improving and benchmarking compliance programs. He also advises clients on local trade and customs options for companies in China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Mr. Stepp began his career in Los Angeles, where he was associated with a major U.S. customhouse broker and advised the company’s importing clients on U.S. customs practices and procedures. Later, he worked in Washington, D.C., where he represented electronics and automotive companies in the negotiation of the NAFTA rules of origin for their products. Mr. Stepp authored a guidebook on NAFTA procedures for a major U.S. electronics trade association and lectured in Japan on the scope and effect of the rules.

Mr. Stepp resumed his L.A. practice in 1997, where he served as chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Customs Law Committee from 1998 to 2000. He is active in the international trade community in Southern California and, on behalf of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association, is the instructor for the association’s semi-annual course preparing students who intend to take the customs brokers licensing test. Mr. Stepp’s legal publications include articles on textile country of origin issues and an analysis of the criminal customs statutes in the United States, Mexico and Canada. He is a frequent speaker on global customs and international trade issues.