Cynthia C. Galvez

Ms. Galvez counsels clients on a broad range of customs-related matters, including customs valuation, tariff classification, country of origin, preferential tariff qualification, marking and labelling, special duties such as antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD), and Sections 232 and 301 trade remedies. A licensed U.S. customs broker, Ms. Galvez regularly advises clients on customs compliance and enforcement matters, including post-entry procedures, ruling requests, penalty notice responses, prior disclosures, corrective action plans, compliance policies and compliance training.

She also counsels on strategies to mitigate tariffs and provides tactical due diligence advice on proposed corporate transactions, joint ventures and other engagements. In addition, she advises on importing foreign acquisitions for government contracts and other goods eligible for reduced-duty treatment.

She has advised U.S. domestic and multinational clients across a broad range of industries, including the food and beverage, consumer electronics, technology, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, automotive, energy, aluminum and steel sectors.

Ms. Galvez has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), International Trade Commission (ITC), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of Justice (DOJ), and has litigated before the U.S. Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She also previously served as a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Delissa A. Ridgway of the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Ms. Galvez’s experience prior to Skadden includes:

• advising multinational corporations on complex valuation issues, including “first sale” values, intercompany and third-party royalty payments, and related party pricing
• obtaining a favorable country of origin ruling from CBP for biopharmaceutical imports
• securing significant penalty reductions from CBP for importers of consumer products and food products for humans and animals
• representing clients in the phosphate fertilizer, steel, phosphor copper, hardwood plywood and plastic ribbon industries in AD/CVD proceedings before the DOC and the ITC
• representing foreign phosphate fertilizer producers and U.S. steel product manufacturers in trade litigation, including before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• representing U.S. manufacturers of construction hand tools, paper products and steel products in five-year “sunset” reviews before the DOC and ITC
• representing U.S. manufacturers of steel products before CBP in Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) proceedings involving antidumping and countervailing duty orders
• advising companies on compliance with economic sanctions and export controls maintained by the DOC and U.S. Department of State

Active in pro bono matters, Ms. Galvez has experience working on universal jurisdiction and criminal sentencing modifications.