Case Histories

For the leading sunscreen product subsidiary, the firm developed a congressional strategy to pass federal preemption legislation codifying FDA jurisdiction over sunscreen products — in the face of vehement opposition from the U.S. cosmetics industry. The strategy led to the dismissal of all multi-million-dollar state court class-action lawsuits against the client company over claims of ambiguous UVA and UVB labeling.

For a diversified global consumer products corporation, Gibbons & Company organized a coalition with the NAM and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to petition the U.S. Government to initiate a World Trade Organization case against the Government of Argentina, which had frozen the company's assets, bank accounts, and confiscated its products. The final WTO decision supported the U.S. position and awarded significant damages payable by the Government of Argentina.

For the U.S. Department of Defense Medical Research Command consortium of NIH/NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers — created by Gibbons & Company — the firm launched and organized this elite group of leading U.S. cancer centers. Over 13 years (2002–2015), the firm crafted comprehensive science-based proposals and obtained over $600M in congressional-directed federal funding to drive translational breakthroughs in personalized oncology therapeutics and diagnostics.

For the leading developer and manufacturer of products made from amorphous alloys, the firm developed U.S. Department of Defense funding for testing and procurement of high-performance armor-piercing ammunition and other defense applications. The Defense programs validated the material's performance characteristics and became the leading source of the company's critical IPO proceeds. The firm also established an ongoing program to proactively protect and enforce the company's intellectual property assets in accord with its business goals and competitive position.

For the nation's third largest cancer research and treatment hospital, the firm developed research initiatives and obtained more than $6 million annually in federal R&D funds over seven years — appropriated directly to the hospital by federal law. The firm also obtained a federal statutory exemption from the Medicare program's prospective payment system (PPS), increasing the hospital's revenues by more than $5 million annually. Total new revenues for fiscal years 1997–2004 exceeded $36 million.

For the world's second largest manufacturer of first aid products, the firm enhanced the company's global competitiveness by eliminating all U.S. import duties on its primary raw materials. Facing surging competing imports, the firm obtained a federal statutory suspension of U.S. Customs duty on all imports of self-adhesive tape and created a certified Free Trade Zone between the U.S. and two overseas manufacturing sites — allowing the company to reverse plans to shut down its U.S. plant and compete on a level playing field.

For the United States' third largest trading country in Latin America, the firm advised the President, National Security Council, and Ministry of Foreign Trade on highly sensitive international trade matters. With the country facing billions of dollars in increased U.S. tariffs, Gibbons & Company advocated at the highest levels of Congress, federal agencies, and the Executive Office of the President — narrowly averting punitive trade sanctions and diffusing a major bilateral dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

For the nation's second largest public university system, the firm secured over $400 million in new federal research and development funds over an eight-year period across medical, environmental, and technology programs. Working closely with each university, the firm developed and moved through Congress multi-million dollar proposals to create national centers of excellence — requiring extensive interaction with the Appropriations Committees and senior House and Senate leadership. These funds improved the university system's national ranking by more than 15 percent.

For one of the most widely recognized insurance companies in the world, the firm provided strategic counsel on trade and tax policies critical to the company's ability to operate in the United States. Facing intensive pressure from competing U.S. insurers over its unique business structure's tax treatment, the firm negotiated a complex business and tax agreement with the U.S. Government — allowing the company to continue underwriting high-risk insurance of every description across the United States.

For a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, developed the Childhood Vaccine Compensation Act and successfully lobbied it through Congress — over vociferous White House opposition — to permit compensation for victims who suffer adverse reactions to childhood disease vaccines.

Developed and lobbied for passage of legislation restricting the importation of "gray market" automobiles that did not meet U.S. safety standards, protecting American consumers and domestic market integrity.

Aided the introduction of a major cancer treatment drug from Europe, facilitating access for U.S. patients, expanding treatment options, and increasing revenues for manufacturers in the U.S. market.

For the world's largest beverage company, worked with NASA to develop a carbonated beverage dispenser for use in space — a unique public-private collaboration at the frontier of commercial aerospace innovation.

For a major corporation facing an adverse U.S. Supreme Court interpretation of federal tort laws, developed legislation to restore the congressional intent of the law — effectively negating the Supreme Court's decision and ensuring the correct legal framework continues to the present.

For U.S. legislators, secured a two-year transition amendment in a trade agreement providing a "price snapback provision" — allowing the immediate imposition of U.S.–Mexico tariffs on frozen products from Mexico to protect the domestic market.

For the largest importer of floral and perishable products from the Andean countries, developed a streamlined U.S. Customs and USDA inspection and clearance process — enabling more rapid and secure product importation and saving the importer millions of dollars in air cargo transportation costs.

For the world's leading producer of cereal and convenience foods, secured a significant reduction of foreign import duties and the elimination of non-tariff barriers on global food products — materially improving the company's international market access.

For the world's number one cereal manufacturer, negotiated post-NAFTA transition rules for duty-free sourcing of U.S. agricultural commodities for its international manufacturing plants. Provided rigorous and persistent international trade advocacy for the company to enter lucrative new markets (with more than 50% equity ownership) in China and India, and utilized all the economic and political resources of the U.S. Government to terminate foreign country market access restrictions and punitive unfair trade practices on the company's cereal products.

For the oldest continuous writer of life insurance policies in America, The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (MONY), crafted and led multi-decade congressional advocacy for a sophisticated compilation of new tax-driven life insurance products and annuities for policyholders — while advancing the income tax exemption on inside policy savings buildup for mutual life insurance products. This gave the company's policyholder savings products a decisive market advantage over unremitting opposition from the global banking industry and stock shareholder-financed life insurance competitors.

For a leading homebuilding company, defeated a provision in the 2008 Housing Bill that would have extended a $20+ billion net tax rebate exclusively to competing homebuilders not profitable during the housing market downturn — a rebate that would have come entirely from the federal treasury and created a severely unlevel playing field.

For the largest privately held stadium and most profitable NFL franchise in the U.S., obtained an emergency waiver of new federal regulations prohibiting public transit agencies from providing charter bus service — allowing seamless game day transportation to continue while alternative business options were determined.

For the world's largest beverage company, the firm worked with NASA to develop a carbonated beverage dispenser to be used in space, opening new frontiers for commercial product development in aerospace environments.

In the course of final NAFTA negotiations, secured a ten-year transition amendment in the agreement for a "price snapback provision" allowing the immediate imposition of U.S. duties on imports of citrus products from Mexico if the U.S. market dropped below certain commodity prices, protecting American citrus growers.

For the country's first and largest pre-paid college program, crafted tax legislation and directly lobbied Congress to change the federal taxation of the state-sponsored program, eliminating several major tax liabilities for both the purchaser and the beneficiary of such savings programs.

For a major municipal transportation agency facing the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of a federal statute regarding third-party liabilities in a major class action tort case, developed legislation to restate the congressional intent of the law decided in the court decision, thereby negating the U.S. Supreme Court decision adverse to the agency.

For the largest importer of floral and perishable products from the Andean countries, developed a more streamlined U.S. Customs and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection and clearance process to allow for more rapid and secure product importation procedures, saving the importer company millions of dollars in air cargo transportation and security clearance costs.