The firm is an outgrowth of Mr. Cooper's 28 years of working as an attorney within larger firms wherein he gained significant expertise and experience in the breadth of International Trade Law.  Mr. Cooper specializes in all matters of legal representation before United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the myriad other federal, state and local agencies that regulate imported merchandise.  Litigation of adverse decisions of these agencies is also within the firm's expertise.

    Mr. Cooper first worked for a San Francisco-Washington D.C.-based Customs and International Trade firm (Martindale Hubbell A-V rated) representing importers before federal agencies regulating imported products.  There he also handled numerous cases before the Court of International Trade (New York-based) and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Washington, D.C.-based).  He later joined the Customs and International Trade firm of Horton, Whiteley and Cooper (Martindale Hubbell A-V rated) as a member handling the same regulatory and litigation matters for this Oakland-Newport Beach (and Berkeley), California, group.

    Under the current structure, Mr. Cooper continues to represent importers of all sizes and locations.  He has a strong background in food, agriculture, textile, toy and technology cases, but handles all matters which involve regulation of imported merchandise.  The firm's caseload includes seizures, fines, penalties, FDA matters and Customs classification as well as other import-related issues.  Mr. Cooper regularly consults with Customs brokers on Customs and business matters, as well as broker regulatory issues.  He has handled product recalls, advised importers on California's Proposition 65 and has reported cases in the Court of International Trade, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the federal district courts in California.     
    
    Every attempt is made to evaluate each client representation from an economic standpoint before embarking on drawn-out proceedings before a regulatory agency or a court.  Sometimes there are simple solutions to problems and often matters can be handled for a flat fee thus avoiding problems inherent in hourly billing.  In other situations, however, the billable hour is the fairest and most practical fee structure for resolving legal issues.  Therefore, both systems are used in the practice.

    All matters are handled aggressively and effectively with a results-oriented approach.  Estimates of time and overall fees are given when possible.  The firm puts a premium on client relationships and strives for cost-effective resolutions of complex regulatory matters affecting imported merchandise.

    Initial consultations are conducted without charge for most cases.  The firm encourages inquiries and often meets with importers and Customs brokers informally to discuss problems and the industry in general. 

Law Offices of Gary C. Cooper
247 Yale Avenue
Kensington, California
(510) 665-5555
FAX (510) 665-4109
gcc@gcooperlaw.com