David F. Olave

DAVID OLAVE is a Senior Associate and Trade Policy Advisor for Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. He employs a unique blend of experience in customs law, trade negotiations, legislative procedures, lobbying and civil society outreach to advise clients on the potential impact of trade-related legislation and to work with the U.S. government to address clients’ needs. His areas of expertise include free trade agreement negotiations, the Generalized System of Preferences, the miscellaneous trade bill, international labor and corporate social responsibility standards, state and federal product safety regulations, and designing effective government relations and messaging strategies for firm clients. He has represented clients’ interests before the House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees as well as before different federal agencies, including the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State and the International Trade Commission.

Previously, Mr. Olave worked for the international government affairs office of Eli Lilly and Co. In this position he assisted in the development and advocacy of policies related to intellectual property rights, technology and health and represented the company in several multi-stakeholder groups. He has also worked for the Colombian government’s Trade Bureau in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. House of Representatives. As part of his graduate studies he worked as an independent consultant on U.S. government advocacy efforts for an overseas labor and civil society organization.

Mr. Olave holds a J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, a master’s degree in international trade policy from George Mason University, and a B.A. in international politics and business from Brigham Young University. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. His publications include “Expiring Trade Preferences Impact American Companies” (North American Free Trade and Investment Report, Vol. 21, No. 5, March 15, 2011) and “Evolving Labor Standards and Human Rights Agenda: The Impact on Trade” (North American Free Trade and Investment Report, Vol. 21, No. 10, May 31, 2011).