On May 24, 2012, Euromoney Legal Media Group paid a special tribute to Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, former US Trade Representative, during its inaugural “Americas Women in Business Law Awards.” Nominated by her peers, Ambassador Barshefsky was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award for her notable leadership and contributions in the legal sector.

Ambassador Barshefsky serves as chair of WilmerHale’s International Trade, Investment and Market Access Group. She joined the firm after serving in President Clinton’s Cabinet as the US Trade Representative. In that role, she negotiated hundreds of complex trade and investment agreements that opened markets, removed regulatory barriers and cemented protections for US investment from Europe to Asia, Africa to Latin America, and the Middle East. She is best known internationally as the architect and negotiator of China’s World Trade Organization agreement, which opened China’s economy as a worldwide market. Her negotiations have been heavily profiled by members of the foreign policy community, and widely published in the media.

The Ambassador was honored in the company of some of America’s leading female lawyers, including WilmerHale Partners Sarah Rothermel and Rachael Kent who were selected for inclusion on the shortlists “Best in Private Equity” and “Best in Commercial Arbitration,” respectively.