Photograph of Frances P. Hadfield

Focus Areas

Education

  • University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, B.S. (1996)
  • University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, J.D. (2001) cum laude

Admissions

  • New York

Frances P. Hadfield

Counsel
New York
fhadfield@crowell.com
Phone: +1 212.803.4040
590 Madison Avenue
20th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Frances P. Hadfield is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's International Trade Group in the firm's New York office. Her practice focuses on forced labor and withhold release orders (WRO), import regulatory compliance, and customs litigation. She regularly advises corporations on matters involving customs compliance, audits, customs enforcement, as well as import penalties.

Frances represents clients before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as in proceedings at the administrative level. She advises corporations on both substantive federal and state regulatory issues that involve U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife in matters pertaining to product admissibility, audits, classification, import restrictions, investigations, marking, licenses, origin, penalties, and tariff preference programs.

Frances has assisted clients in a broad array of industries (e.g., agricultural, apparel and footwear, automotive, cameras, electronics, equipment and machinery, glassware, household goods, lighting, petroleum, and hand tools), providing creative tariff solutions and duty recovery options that enable clients to obtain significant duty savings. Moreover, in enforcement instances she has worked to mitigate substantially proposed customs penalties.

Frances was also a law clerk to the Honorable Evan J. Wallach at the U.S. Court of International Trade. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, she was an attorney at a boutique customs practice in New York City for over ten years. She is a licensed customs broker and has taught tariff classification and customs valuation.

Representative Experience

  • Led three-day bench trial at U.S. Court of International Trade involving six fact witnesses and two expert witnesses resulting in a duty decrease for cotton shelf brassiere tank tops from 16.5 percent ad valorem to 10.8 percent ad valorem.
  • Successfully litigated shelved furniture classification resulting in a duty decrease from 3.9 percent ad valorem to duty free.
  • Settled $1.5 million defective apparel goods case.
  • Succeeded in having penalty case involving the proper classification of digital still image video cameras dismissed.
  • Settled importer's trademark infringement case regarding handbags at the Southern District of New York.
  • Assists clients with establishing import compliance programs.

Affiliations

Admitted to practice: New York, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, United States Supreme Court

Other Memberships

  • Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA)
    • Chair, CITBA Publications Committee (2008-2012)
    • Co-Chair, CITBA Trial and Appellate Practice Committee (2012-Present)


Highlights, News & Knowledge

Speeches & Presentations

  • "The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – A Substantial Rewrite of NAFTA or More of the Same?" Crowell & Moring Webinar (June 10, 2020). Presenters: John B. Brew, Daniel Cannistra, David R. Stepp, Frances P. Hadfield, Maria Vanikiotis, and Walter (Sam) Boone.
  • "The COVID-19 Pandemic and Imports: How Companies Can Effectively Move Goods In a Changing Environment," Crowell & Moring Webinar (April 15, 2020). Presenters: John B. Brew, Frances P. Hadfield, Aaron Marx, Brian McGrath, and Maria Vanikiotis.
  • "Looking Ahead – Critical Topics in International Trade," Federal Bar Association’s 2020 Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (February 7, 2020). Speaker: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "U.S. Trade & Tariffs: The Pain…And the Potential for Savings," Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Industry Leaders Summit, Baltimore, MD (September 26, 2019). Speaker: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Understanding the False Claims Act Risks Facing U.S. Importers," Crowell & Moring Webinar (June 11, 2019). Presenters: Jason M. Crawford, Frances P. Hadfield, and Allegra K. Flamm.
  • "Trade, Tariffs & Trump," 2019 Business & Risk Management Summit, Indianapolis, IN (April 24, 2019). Presenter: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Trade Wars with China: Analysis of Outcome," Federal Bar Association: 2019 Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (February 8, 2019). Moderator: Frances P. Hadfield; Panelist: David R. Stepp.
  • "Trump’s NAFTA Renegotiation: Potential Changes and Impacts to Brands, Apparel and Textiles," 2018 FBA Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (February 9, 2018). Presenter: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "International Trade Developments," Practicing Law Institute’s (PLI) Fashion and Retail Law 2017 Trends and Developments Seminar, New York, NY (May 2, 2017). Speaker: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Corporate Responsibility: Child Labor and Sustainability: Overview of International Treaties and U.S. Laws Affecting Child Labor and Sustainability Issues," Federal Bar Association's 2017 Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (February 10, 2017). Panelist: Preetha Chakrabarti. Moderator: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Current Legal Issues in the Fashion Industry," Cardozo's Fashion, Arts, Media and Entertainment Law Center, New York, NY (December 6, 2016). Speaker: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Update on CBP's Forced Labor Detentions," Webinar (July 20, 2016). Presenters: Frances P. Hadfield and David (Dj) Wolff.
  • "The Regulatory Framework of Labeling and Disclosure," Federal Bar Association's 2016 Fashion Law Conference, New York, NY (February 12, 2016). Presenters: Cheryl A. Falvey and Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "Protecting Your Fashion Brand Against Counterfeiting By Using U.S. Customs and Border Protection's E-Recordation System," China.Net: A Global Marketplace Revolution, Chicago, IL (October 23, 2015). Presenter: Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "The Fusion of Fashion & Technology: The Emerging Legal Landscape for the Fashion Industry in the Digital Media Age," Crowell & Moring and U.S. Fashion Industry Association, Webinar (October 20, 2015). Panelists: Cheryl A. Falvey, Lora A. Moffatt and Frances P. Hadfield.
  • "This Year in Trade - Fall Update," Crowell & Moring Webinar (October 8, 2015). Presenters: Adelicia R. Cliffe, Paul Davies, Charles De Jager, Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, Lindsay Denault, Frances P. Hadfield, Aaron Marx, Glen G. McGorty, James (J.J.) Saulino, and Alexander H. Schaefer.
  • "USA Business Builder," Toronto, Canada (May 26, 2015). Presenter: Frances P. Hadfield.

Publications


Client Alerts & Newsletters


Media Mentions


Firm News & Announcements

May.20.2021 Chambers USA 2021 Ranks 63 Crowell & Moring Lawyers and 30 Practice Areas Among Best in U.S.
Feb.23.2021 Chambers Ranks Three Practice Groups and Ten Lawyers in 2021 Global Guide
Apr.23.2020 Chambers USA 2020 Ranks 53 Crowell & Moring Lawyers and 21 Practice Areas Among Best in U.S.
Dec.06.2019 Preliminary Injunction Granted Against U.S. Government in Solar Energy Tariff Case
Apr.29.2019 Chambers USA 2019 Ranks 53 Crowell & Moring Lawyers and 21 Practice Areas Among Best in U.S.