The principals of St.Maxens & Company have extensive backgrounds in international trade, including the senior ranks of the U.S. government's key trade agencies. Their extensive public sector experience equips the firm with detailed knowledge of the trade policymaking process, as well as a familiarity with the people making these decisions. Drawing on this expertise and employing the outstanding capabilities and dedication of its staff, St.Maxens & Company has earned a reputation for providing its clients first-class consulting services in a highly efficient and effective manner. Since founding St.Maxens & Company in February 1985, Thomas F. St.Maxens has managed all corporate activities of the firm, which focuses on international trade policy issues and corporate government affairs representation. Tom also serves on two statutory trade advisory committees, as confirmed by the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce, charged with providing advice to the Administration on trade policy and negotiating issues. During 1981-1985, Tom served at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as Executive Director of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). He directed policy and administrative issues concerning the operation of the GSP program and led the Administration's efforts to secure Congressional passage of legislation renewing the program's statutory authority (Trade and Tariff Act of 1984). During this period, Tom represented the U.S. Government in GATT, OECD, UNCTAD and bilateral consultations regarding key North-South issues, and in 1984 he received the William B. Kelly, Jr. Award for Professional Excellence, presented annually to the USTR official demonstrating the highest standard of professional excellence. During 1980-81, Tom served at USTR as Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff Committee. In this capacity, he served as the chief advisor to the TPSC Chairman on the full spectrum of international trade policy issues. During 1978-79, Tom served in Geneva as U.S. Delegate to the Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations under the GATT (now WTO) for the final two years of those negotiations, participating in all aspects of the negotiations on tariff and non-tariff issues. During 1974-77, Tom worked at the U.S. International Trade Commission as a Supervisory and Senior Investigator, conducting investigations under section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, antidumping and countervailing duty statutes, and before that as an industry analyst. Tom received a B.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt University and attended Georgetown University Law Center from 1974-77.