CHRISTOPHER LOCK advises on all aspects of UK and international trade law including export controls, economic sanctions and investment screening, UK customs regulations and trade remedies, post-Brexit UK trade policy and domestic litigation, and World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement.
Chris has a particular interest in helping clients understand the new post-EU trade framework in the UK. Previously a senior associate in a Brussels trade practice, he joined the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) Legal Advisors shortly after it was created. There, he brought his experience of working on EU trade law and policy to support both the UK’s negotiations with the EU, and the UK’s preparations to administer its own independent trade policy.
While at DIT, Chris led teams of lawyers, for a period at Deputy Director level, advising on: the negotiation and implementation of UK FTA negotiations, particularly in the areas of goods market access and preferential tariffs, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, customs and trade facilitation; the establishment of the UK’s tariff and freeports; EU retained law; the Northern Ireland Protocol; and UK actions at the WTO.
Aside from his government experience and trade advisory practice, Chris has run cross-border investigations across different jurisdictions, representing clients before multiple regulatory authorities. He has regularly advised on international trade issues in the context of M&A transactions: due diligence, contract negotiation, and post-deal structuring such as preparation of acquisitions for export, setting up manufacturing facilities in new markets, and evaluation of trade compliance obligations.