<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif; font-size: 11pt;" class="">Two articles below</span><font face="CalistoMT, serif" class=""><span style="font-size: 15px;" class="">…</span></font></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 40pt; font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT,Bold', serif;" class="">Washington Trade Daily<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;" class="">Volume 24, Number 228 Monday, November 16, 2015<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'ArialMT,BoldItalic', sans-serif;" class="">TPP Approval Early Next Year?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">President Obama said Friday he thinks lawmakers should approve the TransPacific Partnership<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">agreement early next year once the next session of Congress convenes (WTD, 11/13/15).<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">The President spoke after a meeting with former national security officials from both Democratic<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">and Republican Administrations. This week he will be in Asia for meetings with other TPP leaders and<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">the heads of state of other Asian countries.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Mr. Obama said that he and the former top-ranking officials agreed that “if we fail to get the<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">TransPacific Partnership done, if we do not create the architecture for high-standards trade and<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">commerce in this region, then that void will be filled by China. It will be filled by our economic<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">competitors. They will make the rules, and those rules will not be to our advantage.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Attending the meeting were former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Henry<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Kissinger and James Baker; former Defense Secretary William Cohen and former chairman of the Joint<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">The former officials “believe that our economic prosperity and our national security cannot be<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">separated,” the President said. “And if we are going to be a serious player in this critical region of the<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">world, then we’ve got to get the economics right and we’ve got to get the national security right. That’s<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">why all of us agree that the TransPacific Partnership agreement that we have forged is so important and<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">that it is critical for Congress to act.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">US To Play Active Role<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Thanks to the TPP, countries in the Asia-Pacific region recognize that the United States intends<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">to play an active role in the region and to promote high standards for trade, the President added.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">US Trade Representative Michael Froman made a similar argument in an interview Friday aired<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">on National Public Radio. The United States is not the only country negotiating trade deals in the<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">region, he said. China is working on a trade deal with 16 countries that does not have the same high<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">standards as the TPP – there are no protections for workers and the environment, no commitment to the<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">free flow of data across borders. “And the question is, what is the better world for American workers?<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">.... It’s got to be the TPP world than the world in which TPP is not there and these other initiatives<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">move forward,” he commented<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Mr. Froman defended the TPP against critics that say the investor-state dispute settlement<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">mechanism allows corporations to undermine countries’ regulations – particularly dealing with public<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">health and safety. The provision does not create any substantive rights beyond what exists now in US<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">law. The only recourse for a company that wins a dispute is compensation – the same outcome that<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">would be available if the case were handled in a US court. A law or regulation could not be changed<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">unless Congress chooses to do so, according to the USTR.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">The TPP raises the standard for when a claim could be brought under the investor state system,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">Mr. Froman stated. A claimant must prove a violation of international law. A company cannot sue<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class="">simply because it lost profits or a regulation has changed.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: CalistoMT, serif;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;" class=""><font face="CalistoMT, serif" class=""><span style="font-size: 15px;" class=""><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/obama-touts-trade-pact-former-government-officials-linked-industries-would-benefit" class="">http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/obama-touts-trade-pact-former-government-officials-linked-industries-would-benefit</a></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;" class=""><font face="CalistoMT, serif" class=""><span style="font-size: 15px;" class=""><br class=""></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><h1 itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 36px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;" class="">Obama Touts Trade Pact With Former Government Officials Linked to Industries That Would Benefit</h1><div class="node-metainfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 9px 0px 5px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; font-family: RobotoRegular, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">By <span class="author smaller-font" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author" itemscope="" style="box-sizing: border-box; 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border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" class="">Andrew Perez</span></a></span> <span class="author-extra" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AndrewPerezDC" class="author-twitter" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 148, 219); display: inline;">@AndrewPerezDC</a> <a href="mailto:andrew.perez@ibtimes.com" class="author-email" absolute="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); display: inline;">andrew.perez@ibtimes.com</a> </span></span><date style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: inline;" class="">on <span itemprop="datePublished" content="2015-11-13T14:26:35-05:00" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" class="">November 13 2015 2:26 PM EST</span></date></div><div class="node-metainfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 9px 0px 5px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; font-family: RobotoRegular, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><date style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: inline;" class=""><span itemprop="datePublished" content="2015-11-13T14:26:35-05:00" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" class=""><br class=""></span></date></div></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">President Obama’s meeting Friday with a bipartisan group of former top government officials is <a href="http://t.sidekickopen03.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XX48qSr-vN8q-c7jRrT3HW5vw5gT56dNscf1lJDDT02?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2015%2F11%2F13%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Fobama-pushes-new-pacific-trade-pact-ahead-of-asia-trip.html&si=4710579288145920&pi=ccc59f3c-573d-49ea-df24-0c754ecaa9a1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">designed</a> to stress the Trans-Pacific Partnership is supported by top former diplomats and national security experts. But those icons aren’t necessarily disinterested voices: They currently maintain ties to industries with a financial interest in the controversial 12-nation trade deal.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">While Obama has publicly criticized the so-called <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/actions/revolving-door" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">“revolving door”</a> between government and business, the headliners attending Friday’s meeting are some of the best-known government officials who now help corporations influence government. They include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, former joint chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and former Secretary of State James Baker.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">-- Albright is currently the <a href="http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/team/madeleine-k-albright" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">chair</a> of Albright Stonebridge, which <a href="http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/about-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">describes itself</a> as a “ strategic advisory and commercial diplomacy firm” focused on helping corporate clients “navigate international markets.” The firm’s East Asia team -- which operates in countries involved in the TPP -- says it represents “clients throughout the region in a wide variety of sectors -- from consumer goods and retail, to financial services, life sciences, and information and communications technology.” The Obama administration has <a href="https://ustr.gov/tpp/Summary-of-US-objectives" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">said</a> the TPP is designed to provide “new and meaningful market access for goods and services” among member countries. Albright also runs a private investment fund, Albright Capital, whose <a href="http://www.albrightcapital.com/images/ACM%20Form%20ADV%20Part%202A%20-%20Final%203-16-15%20(with%20Funds%20only).pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">SEC forms</a> say it has “a primary focus on securities of companies located in or primarily doing business in emerging market countries.” The TPP aims to strengthen foreign investors’ rights in Asia’s emerging markets -- including <a href="http://www.citizen.org/TPP-investment-map" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">empowering</a>those investors to challenge domestic laws in international tribunals.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">-- Mullen is currently a <a href="http://www.gm.com/company/board-of-directors/michael-mullen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">board member of General Motors</a> -- which is a member of the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP and has <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2015/2A/300767356.xml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">lobbied</a> members of Congress on the trade deal. He is also a <a href="http://www.provequity.com/team/michael-g-mullen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">senior adviser</a> at Providence Equity Partners -- a private equity firm that does business in <a href="http://www.provequity.com/contact/singapore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">Asia</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">-- Scowcroft’s eponymous consulting firm has a <a href="http://www.scowcroft.com/mclarty-associates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">partnership</a> with McLarty Associates, a company that <a href="http://maglobal.com/southeast-asia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">advises</a> U.S. companies on how to navigate business environments in foreign countries, including some that are part of the TPP. The McLarty Associates website touts the firm’s work helping “an iconic American company to successfully build a $250 million production facility in Malaysia for export throughout the region as well as to South Asia and the Middle East.” Malaysia’s inclusion in the TPP has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/malaysia-human-trafficking-tpp_55b66521e4b0224d8832fe28" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">generated</a> controversy, based on the country’s poor record on human trafficking.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;" class="">-- Baker is a senior partner in the law and lobbying firm Baker Botts, with a <a href="http://www.bakerbotts.com/people/b/baker-james-a-iii#0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">focus</a> on “cross-border transactions.” His firm has a substantial energy practice, drawing top <a href="http://www.bakerbotts.com/news/2015/06/baker-botts-earns-top-ranking-2015" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">ratings</a> last year for its work on behalf of oil and gas companies and clients with liquefied natural gas projects. Environmental groups <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/TPP-LNG_Factsheet_Updated.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">say</a> the TPP will increase approvals of liquified natural gas exports. The lobbyists at Baker’s law firm <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2015/3A/300765737.xml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">represent</a> the U.S. subsidiary of the global offshore drilling company, Noble Corp., which has an <a href="http://www.noblecorp.com/contact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">office</a> in TPP-member country Singapore. Baker’s firm has also <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldxmlrelease/2015/Q3/300762838.xml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px none; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: rgb(216, 75, 14);" class="">lobbied</a> for Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals on tariff issues.</p></div></body></html>