Frank J. Desiderio

Frank Desiderio is a founding member of the Firm. At the outset of his legal career, he served as a trial attorney in the Customs Section of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice where he represented U.S. Customs in proceedings before the U.S. Customs Court and the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.

Today his clients include importers, retailers, foreign manufacturers, buying agents, trading companies, trade associations, customs brokers and foreign governments. He and members of his firm act as Customs Counsel to many of the largest and most prestigious companies involved in the manufacture and worldwide distribution of luxury goods, apparel, footwear, electronics, food products, pharmaceuticals, etc.

For over 45 years, he has assisted clients in structuring their import transactions in a fashion designed to minimize Customs duties, ensure regulatory compliance and eliminate penalty exposure.

He has written and lectured widely on Customs and trade issues, including publications and seminars in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He is a frequent panelist on programs conducted by the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association (NCBFAA), a guest lecturer on Customs in the Fashion Law Programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Fordham and Brooklyn Law Schools, and a panelist on Customs and International Trade at Saint John’s University School of Law. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board and panelist at the Georgetown Law Center’s Annual International Trade Update.

For over 35 years, he has been an active and sustaining member of the Italy America Chamber of Commerce (where he has served as a director, program committee chairman and, since 1992, has served as its Customs and Trade Advisor).

Mr. Desiderio is a Cavaliere dell’ Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, an honor bestowed by the President of the Republic of Italy, a Knight of the Grand Cross in the Savoy Orders of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, a Knight Commander  of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and President of the American Foundation of Savoy Orders. Since 2012, he has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the John Cabot University in Rome.

St. John’s University School of Law J.D. (1972) cum laude

St. John’s University B.S. (1969)

Supreme Court of the United States (2019)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (1982)

U.S. Court of International Trade (1982)

U.S. Customs Court (1973)

U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of New York (1975)

U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York (1975)

U.S. Tax Court (2017)

American Bar Association

Association of the Bar of the City of New York

Columbia Association of U.S. Customs and Affiliated Federal Agencies

Customs and International Trade Bar Association

Italy America Chamber of Commerce, Tariff & Trade Advisor (1999-Present)

New York City Bar Association

New York State Bar Association (Member, Committee on International Trade)

Lectures:

International NY Times Luxury Law Summit (London) Panelist (2014-Present)

Georgetown Law Center: Panelist and Advisory Board Member for International Trade Update (2013-Present)

Fordham Law School, Guest Lecturer: Fashion Law (2011-Present)

Italian Trade Commission: Legal, Customs & Tax Program (2012)

Business Development Institute: Examining Corporate Tax Strategies for Multinational Corporations (2011)

World Trade Institute: New York and New Jersey Port Authority, Customs Law (1977-1980, 1995-1997)

World Trade Institute: Pace University, Harmonized Tariff System Workshop (1998-2000)

International Business Machines, Customs Law Program (1992-1993)

South African Professional Development Program (1995)

Executive Enterprises, US Customs Valuation and the Interplay with Transfer Pricing (1994)

Importing for Exporters: An Overview (1996)

Publications:

“Increasing Profits by Lowering Custom Duties,” Trade with Italy, (1983)

“General Export Concerns,” Trade with Italy (1987)

“GATT, Textiles, MFN & Vietnam,” Vietnam Today (1994)

“U.S. Customs’ Concerns About Origin,” The Strategist (1994)

“Trading Without MFN,” The Vietnam Business Journal (1995)

“Transfer Pricing and U.S. Customs,” Italy Today Fall Issue (1999)

“New U.S. Marking Rules for Certain Silk Products,” Italy Today, Millennium Issue (1999)

“Learning Local Customs,” American British Business (2007)

“Proposed Importer Security Filer and Additional Carrier Requirements Dramatically Change the Methodology and Timing of Data Transmission,” e’Itala USA (2008)

“New U.S. Legislation Imposes Additional Standards and Certification Requirements on Children’s Products and Apparel Exported to the U.S.,” Il Doganalista (2008)

“Memorandum sul manzo,” Il Doganalista (2009)

“Will the ‘First Sale’ Rule Survive,” Trade with Italy (2010)

“Thoughts on the ‘first sale’ Rule,” World Customs Journal, Volume 4, Number 1 (2010)

“First Sale Appraisement Equals Substantial Duty Savings,” Trade with Italy (2015)

Awards and Honors:

“Attorney of the Year” – Top 100 Lawyers listed Mr. Desiderio signifying him as practicing at the highest level of competence and distinction in the field of law (2024)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Medal – Pi Alpha Sigma Fraternity (2022)

Golden Lion Award – New York State Grand Lodge Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (2019)

“Mardi Gras King” – School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center (2019)

Man of the Year – Columbia Society of U.S. Customs and Affiliated Federal Agencies (2017)

Xaverian High School – Distinguished Alumni Award (2013)

Man of the Year – Columbia Society of U.S. Customs and Affiliated Federal Agencies (2001)

“Award of Excellence” – Italian Tribune’s award for being a most distinguished American of Italian descent