Gary Locke is a seasoned business professional and an American politician with extensive expertise in U.S.-China relations. His illustrious career as a senior statesman and diplomat spans four decades.

Gary was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1982 and served as the 21st Governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese-American governor.

During the Obama administration, Gary served as Secretary of Commerce from 2009 to 2011, and as Ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014, the first Chinese American to serve in the role.

Most recently, Gary acted as the interim president of Bellevue College and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for Committee of 100, the leading organization for Chinese Americans on civic engagement, public policy, arts, culture and philanthropy.

Gary’s comprehensive understanding of state governance and international commerce provides invaluable guidance to clients seeking to navigate regional nuances. His keen insight into foreign investment in the U.S., international trade, export controls, government relations, and cross-cultural diplomacy uniquely positions him to assist clients in achieving their business goals in the global marketplace.

Justin Huff is a Partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake City offices. Prior to entering private practice, Justin served as a Deputy Director in the United States Department of the Treasury office responsible for chairing CFIUS. Justin led the review of hundreds of CFIUS filings and conducted in-depth national security analyses on transactions across a wide range of industries, including biotech, agriculture, technology, telecommunication, real estate, and energy. Justin also engaged in extensive inter-agency communications and consensus building with the eight other agencies on the CFIUS committee. Prior to his Treasury role, Justin held senior positions with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

After serving in the federal government for over a decade, Justin entered the private law practice and has advised domestic and international clients on CFIUS regulations and their impact on hundreds of high-profile cross-border corporate transactions. He is recognized as a leading attorney for CFIUS by Chambers Global and by Chambers USA.

As a trusted and tried legal advisor in assisting Chinese companies in their major cross-border transactions and disputes, Ray has been named one of China’s Elite 100 Lawyers (Foreign Lawyers) by China Business Law Journal 2019-2023, shortlisted in Litigation: Foreign Firms Lawyer of the Year in Legal 500 China Awards 2024, a Recommended Lawyer by Legal 500 Asia Pacific in China: Regulatory/Compliance and Dispute Resolution: Litigation, and one of Top 15 Data Privacy Lawyers of the Year 2021, ACE LEGALTECH Awards.

Ray concentrates on international and commercial litigations and arbitrations, primarily those involving cross-border and extraterritorial disputes. As a versatile lawyer, his practice areas also include foreign direct investment, general corporate and cross-border M&A, PE investments, technology commerce, intellectual property rights, employment, financial services, banking, and insurance laws as well as cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.
On top of his notable professional experience, Ray also engages actively in social activities and embraces social responsibilities. He is constantly interviewed by prestigious news outlets and magazines, including People’s Daily (the largest newspaper group in China), Global Characters, CGTN (the international division of the state-owned media organization China Central Television (CCTV)), China Business Network, Yicai, The New York Times and The Global People, and invited to comment on U.S.-China legal and economic issues that are widely covered by mainstream media.

The Honorable William Zarit advises western multinationals working in the Chinese commercial market and helps Chinese companies navigate the U.S. business environment. A Senior Counselor with The Cohen Group, he is also Chairman Emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Until May 2014 Mr. Zarit was Minister for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, in charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s trade promotion and trade policy activities in its operations in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. He retired with the diplomatic rank of Career Minister.

Prior to that Beijing posting, Mr. Zarit oversaw Commercial Sections in U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide as Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Operations, for the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), which is the Federal Government’s front line trade agency, promoting both U.S. exports and foreign investment into the U.S., and protecting U.S. commercial interests overseas. Before that he served as the FCS Regional Director for East Asia/Pacific. Prior positions included Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Deputy Senior Commercial Officer both at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and at the American Institute in Taiwan.

Before to joining the U.S. Commercial Service Mr. Zarit was Economic and Commercial Program Officer for the New York-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, preceded by his work as Marketing Manager/China for Pacific Bell’s international operations. He had earlier as Project Manager for the first IBM PC dealer in China, China Business Associates. Mr. Zarit also served as a Mandarin Chinese Interpreter for the U.S. State Department Language Services.

He earned an M.B.A. with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. with Honors in Political Science from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.