PRIVATE PRACTICE: Since going into private practice in 1989, Mr. Hanson has worked with the nation’s three most prominent law firms specializing in international trade and import and export regulations.

Associate:  Barnes, Richardson and Colburn, 1989-1996
Associate:  Grunfield, Desiderio, Lebowitz & Silverman, 1996-2000
Partner: Sandler, Travis and Rosenburg, 2000-2001

For each of these law firms, Mr. Hanson was the attorney in residence in charge of their Houston, Texas office until he opened his own practice, The Law Office of Lawrence W. Hanson, P.C., in 2001.

Mr. Hanson assists clients in the handling of penalty and liquidated damage claims, the detention, seizure and forfeiture of merchandise and audits, civil and criminal investigations and similar actions taken by Customs and other governmental agencies that regulate imports and exports. Mr. Hanson also assists in export licensing, permit and registration requirements before various governmental agencies including BIS, OFAC, DDTC and others. Mr. Hanson conducts privileged internal compliance reviews for importers, exporters and other international trade participants. Also, he offers his experience and judgment toward the development of international trade related compliance programs designed to prevent unwanted entanglements with the governmental agencies that regulate international trade.

Mr. Hanson is licensed to practice trade law in the States of Illinois and Texas. He is admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Court of International Trade in New York, the Fifth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal as well as before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has practiced and conducted administrative hearings before various federal agencies that regulate international trade, including the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. State Department, Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Control, Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Department, Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Trade Commission.

LEADERSHIP: Mr. Hanson has served as the head of the Customs and International Trade Section of the State Bar of Texas and as the Secretary/Treasurer and then Vice Chair of the International Law Section.  In June 2002, Mr. Hanson was elected Chair of the International Law Section. In 2002, Mr. Hanson founded the Center for Global Trade Education and Compliance which continues to provide public and in-house training on import and export regulatory issues. In 2005, Mr. Hanson was appointed to the Greater Houston Partnership International Business Issues Committee, which examined international trade developments and their impact on the local business community. Read More In 2006, Mr. Hanson was appointed U.S. Chair of the U.S. - Mexico Bar Association Customs Committee. In 2008, Mr. Hanson was named as a Director of the USMBA and was elected to the position of U.S. Chair of the U.S. Mexico Bar Association beginning in November, 2010.

In January 2009, Mr. Hanson helped create and continues to serve as a Director of the Washington D.C. based Global Trade Regulatory Review which is a grassroots watchdog organization helping to improve the international trade regulatory process.  During 2009, Mr. Hanson also served as the U.S. Counsel for the International Compliance Professionals Association.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: Mr. Hanson is involved in numerous other law related organizations including the American Bar Association-International Law Section, the Court of International Trade Bar Association, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Bar Association.  He is also an active participant in other professional organizations including International Compliance Professionals Association, the American Institute of International Steel, American Association of Exporters and Importers, the American Petroleum Institute and the National Customhouse Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association.