Insights

Washington – February 17, 2023: Chambers and Partners has ranked eight Crowell & Moring practice groups and 15 individual lawyers in the Chambers Global 2023 guide. The rankings are driven by independent interviews of clients and members of the legal community.

Washington – August 18, 2022: The 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 54 firm lawyers as "Best Lawyers" and 32 lawyers as “Ones to Watch.”

On June 2, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued its first ever Withhold Release Order (“WRO”) and Finding Modifications Guide (“Guide” or “the Guide”). The Guide serves as a roadmap for importers facing a possible WRO or Finding due to allegations of forced labor in the supply chain of their goods imported into the U.S. It provides guidance on information to be included in a modification petition, identifies possible cases in which CBP might request additional information, and provides resources for importers facing a WRO or Finding.

Earlier this week, another case of apparent Modern Slavery and Forced Labour came to light in the UK. [1]  According to media reports, the former UK Prime Minister, Baroness Teresa May of Maidenhead, now Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking[2] – described the case as “shocking” and showed “large companies not properly looking into their supply chains”. The UK Government is now contemplating further steps to strengthen UK Modern Slavery and Forced Labour laws. This recent UK case, follows a number of other cases in Europe – particularly the EU – including those involving high profile Italian fashion houses.[3] In all these cases, the ethical and social responsibilities – including the legal obligations – incumbent on large companies to root-out modern slavery and forced labour concerns in their supply chains, have been focused on. This comes in the wake of, a number of concerns in the same area with, for example, a United Nations Working Group recently noting a general lack of understanding in the banking and investment community that ESG data and information requires undertakings to provide information and data on the “S” – including, therefore, on human rights issues.[4]

On December 21, 2022, Governor Hochul signed Bill A10477/S9427A, New York’s first statewide pay transparency statute, into law. When the statute goes into effect on September 18, 2023, New York State will join a growing number of jurisdictions that have adopted pay transparency laws. The New York State pay transparency law (“Law”) requires employers to list compensation or compensation ranges and job descriptions for all advertised jobs, promotions, and transfer opportunities that can or will be performed in New York State, including positions that are fully remote. According to Governor Hochul, the Law seeks to “usher in a new era of transparency for New York’s workforce” and tackle “pervasive pay gaps for women and people of color.” The Law will not preempt or supersede its New York City counterpart or any other local pay transparency statutes.

Global Trade Talks is a podcast that shares brief perspectives on key global issues on international trade, current events, business, law, and public policy as they impact our lives. In this session, hosts and International Trade Practice Leaders Nicole Simonian and Dj Wolff talk with Crowell lawyers David Stepp and Simeon Yerokun about Uyghur Forced Labor law and its recent application to the auto industry.