Mike O’Rourke, who is of counsel to customs and trade law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., was recently awarded the Customs and International Trade Bar Association’s Barbara S. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award is named for a former attorney in charge of the International Trade Field Office of the Department of Justice who served as the first U.S. government board member of CITBA. It recognizes those who have made substantial and long-term contributions to the practice of international trade and/or customs law, served and supported the Court of International Trade and its legal community, and/or aided the development of the international trade and customs legal profession, among other things.
Mr. O’Rourke, a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain, began his international trade career as a trial attorney in the Customs Section of the Department of Justice. He then served for nearly 40 years as a partner in the law firm of Rode & Qualey before joining ST&R, where he represents a diverse group of clients on all aspects of customs and international trade law both in the courts and before federal administrative, enforcement, and regulatory agencies.
Mr. O’Rourke is a past two-term president of CITBA and was a member of its board of directors for many years. He has served on the Court of International Trade’s Advisory Committee and as vice president of the CIT Historical Society. He is also a program co-chair and a long-time member of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown University Law Center’s International Trade Update.