Professor James Payne is Of Counsel to the international trade practice at Centre. James focuses on export controls relevant to technology, CFIUS, ITAR and EAR classification, Buy American Act (BAA) and Trade Agreements Act (TAA) provisions, Berry Amendment compliance, disclosures, deemed exports, and customs law. James counsels clients on export control compliance programs, encryption, classification, government contracts, and foreign direct investment projects. This work involves the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the State Department (DDTC), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
As a national security attorney, James served with the Defense Intelligence Agency and holds a current TS/SCI clearance. As a litigator, James has helped achieve some of the largest settlements in the history of anti-trust commodities regulation. In both federal and state courts, James has served at both the Alabama Supreme Court and the United States Court of International Trade (USCIT). As an advocate, James is a four-time national and international moot court finalist.
As an entrepreneur, he co-founded the Inter-American Development Bank Beyond Banking award-winning platform for social and technological impact.
As a Professor, James is creator of the Advocacy Program for the International Legal Studies Program at the American University, Washington College of Law (AUWCL). As a mentor, James has taught hundreds of foreign attorneys who are now writing for international law firms, courts, organizations, and government ministries. This network recognized James with the Greatest Career Impact Award in 2024. James also coaches WCL’s award-winning WTO moot court teams, and Customs and International Trade Bar Associations’ Watson competition.
As a writing expert, James is a guest lecturer, teaching the raft of advocacy at colleges and universities. He is also a trained classical guitarist, and researcher in advocacy at the Folger Shakespeare Library.
James is licensed to practice law in New York and Alabama, and before the USCIT and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
More at James’ biography from AUWCL: https://www.american.edu/profiles/faculty/payne.cfm
He is licensed to practice in New York, Alabama, and before the United States Court of International Trade.
