Valerie Sorensen-Clark

Valerie Sorensen-Clark is a partner in the New York office. Before joining GDLSK, she spent nearly a decade in the Office of Chief Counsel at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where she served as a principal advocate in consequential import-related disputes.

While in government service, Valerie led CBP’s representation before the U.S. Court of International Trade across a broad range of matters. Her tenure at the agency gives her deep insight into the government’s approach to issues including tariff classification, valuation, country of origin determinations, antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, and challenges to presidential authority to impose tariffs.

Valerie’s past cases include some of the most high-profile trade disputes of our time. She acted as the lead CBP attorney on HMTX Industries et al. v. United States, a closely watched challenge to duties imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. She also played a significant role in V.O.S. Selections v. Trump, the challenge to tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and litigation concerning the process of refunding more than $150 billion in duties invalidated by the Supreme Court. Before concentrating on international trade litigation at CBP, Valerie served in its New York Field Office, where she was a subject-matter expert on intellectual property rights enforcement and e-commerce compliance, among other issues.

Previously, Valerie served for four years as a law clerk to Chief Judge Timothy C. Stanceu of the U.S. Court of International Trade. She began her career as an associate at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in New York and was a visiting professor of international trade law at universities in Beijing and Shanghai. She earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where she received the CALI Award for highest grade in International Trade Law and earned a certificate in advanced WTO Studies from the Institute of International Economic Law.

Georgetown University Law Center J.D. (2010)

Bryn Mawr College B.A. (2005)

New York (2011)

U.S. Court of International Trade (2014)

Customs and International Trade Bar Association

The Organization of Women in International Trade