William Reinsch

William Reinsch holds the Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is a senior adviser at Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP. Previously, he served for 15 years as president of the National Foreign Trade Council, where he led efforts in favor of open markets, in support of the Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation, against unilateral sanctions, and in support of sound international tax policy, among many issues. From 2001 to 2016, he concurrently served as a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He is also an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, teaching courses in globalization, trade policy, and politics.

Reinsch also served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration during the Clinton administration. Prior to that, he spent 20 years on Capitol Hill, most of them as senior legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz (R-PA) and subsequently to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies respectively.

Explainer: How IP Rights Promote Innovation

By Chris Borges Intellectual Property (IP) rights, such as patents, copyrights, and trade secrets, are more than legal instruments; they are vital drivers of innovation and critical components of U.S. economic and national security strategies. This connection was evident to the U.S. founders, who enshrined IP protections in the U.S. Constitution
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Innovation and IP Challenges in Key Sectors: Insights from LeadershIP 2025

By Anne Pritchett I recently had the pleasure of moderating a panel at the 2025 LeadershIP Conference, featuring experts across sectors discussing innovation and intellectual property (IP) challenges inside and outside the United States. The conversation focused on the current state of the U.S. and global IP systems, key challenges
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(Transcript) 2025 LeadershIP Conference Panel IV: Architecting the Future: Call to Action for Innovation Policy

This transcript is from the 2025 LeadershIP Conference hosted at CSIS on April 1st, 2025. Watch the full video here. (DOWNLOAD) LeadershIP 2025 – Panel IV Transcript Panel Description: There are several legislative proposals on the table today affecting IP, antitrust, and competition. Is more (or less) needed to
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