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Hillary A. Leffue

Associate

Hillary A. Leffue

Associate

Hillary Leffue represents companies and individuals in government enforcement matters and international disputes, drawing on nearly a decade of operations experience with an international nonprofit organization in the Middle East, France, and the United States. Her background navigating cross-cultural environments gives her unique insight into the complexities of global legal matters, which she applies to helping clients achieve practical, business-driven solutions.

Government Enforcement and Investigations
Hillary conducts domestic and cross-border investigations resulting from internal reporting or in connection with enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and other state and federal agencies. She advises clients on matters involving:

  • Workplace immigration enforcement
  • SEC/DOJ securities issues
  • The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
  • The False Claims Act (FCA)
  • Workplace misconduct
  • State enforcement actions

She also assists companies in conducting risk assessments and designing compliance programs to minimize the risk of enforcement actions. In addition, she represents foreign and domestic companies before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

International Arbitration
Hillary represents clients in arbitral and litigation matters spanning multiple industries and jurisdictions. She has handled disputes involving breach of contract, intellectual property, shareholder disagreements, consumer protection claims, and fraud allegations. Her experience includes arbitration proceedings in multiple arbitral forums, addressing claims arising from cross-border disputes in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Affiliations

  • Member, Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practice Group
  • Member, Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group
  • Member, International Arbitration Team
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 13, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

What Every Multinational Should Know About …Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Historic IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part VI)

For companies that acted as importers of record, the most immediate risk is procedural: failing to take the steps necessary to preserve and secure refund rights. The Supreme Court’s decision does not automatically result in refunds, and the process will be shaped by ongoing litigation at the CIT and potential administrative actions.
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 13, 2026 Blogs

What Every Multinational Should Know About…Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Historic IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part V)

The conundrum for companies that indirectly paid the IEEPA tariffs, such as those that re-ceived price increases or outright tariff surcharges, is that the importing system is set up so that all refunds will be made by CBP directly to the importer of record. Nonetheless, compa-nies that indirectly paid the IEEPA tariffs may have contractual options, or potentially can use commercial leverage, to seek a refund of some or all of the price increases.
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 13, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

What Every Multinational Should Know About…Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part IV)

Importers of record need to ensure they are best positioned to secure any refunds, while also adapting to the new replacement tariffs. Therefore, on the customs side, we recommend the following steps for importers of record dealing with these issues.
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 11, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

What Every Multinational Should Know About…Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part III)

The importer of record is the entity that initially pays all tariffs and thus is the entity that would receive any IEEPA tariff refunds. Nonetheless, behind the scenes there often are a variety of mechanisms importers of record may have used to handle the often unexpected tariffs, including pushing back on suppliers for price concessions, using surcharges to pass along tariffs, or generally increasing price. In many cases, other parties may be looking to share any potential refunds.
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 10, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

What Every Multinational Should Know About…Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part II)

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-anticipated decisions in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, and the consolidated case Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc., holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose broad-based tariffs.
The image shows the facade of the United States Supreme Court building, featuring Corinthian columns and sculpted figures above the entrance—a symbol of justice often referenced by Chicago lawyers specializing in intellectual property law.
March 10, 2026 Tariff & International Trade Resource

What Every Multinational Should Know About …Managing the Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Historic IEEPA Tariff Decision (Part I)

The Supreme Court’s reversal of tariffs imposed pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) has triggered a cascading series of events. These include a forced pivot by the Trump administration towards alternative tariff authorities, activity at the Court of International Trade (CIT) aimed at securing refunds, and behind-the-scenes jockeying by companies seeking to position themselves to claim those tariff refunds.