Suzanne Garner brings nearly 20 years of legal experience in both government and private practice. She is poised to provide unmatched legal counsel to clients dealing with government contracts and international dealings. Read on to hear more from Suzanne.
Suzanne Garner brings nearly 20 years of legal experience in government and private practice to Truss Faber. She is poised to provide unmatched legal counsel to clients dealing with government contracts and international dealings.
Q: What led you to pursue a career in international law and federal government?
A: I entered law school with a passion for international trade, having interned for an NGO in Geneva, Switzerland, focused on the World Trade Organization. After law school, I joined an international law firm with a robust practice in global compliance and disputes. I gained valuable knowledge working on international arbitration cases and corporate anti-corruption investigations.
I moved on from private practice to join the United States Trade Representative, which is the lead agency for trade negotiations and trade cases involving the United States. As an attorney in the general counsel’s office, I was constantly working across different government departments and agencies, including the United States Departments of State,Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Labor. I also had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of industry stakeholders and foreign government ministries. The field of international trade law encompasses such a range of issues, interests, and stakeholders. I enjoy the challenge, complexity, and feeling of making a difference.
Q: What brought you to collaborate with Truss Faber?
A: Several years ago, I decided to move back to my roots on the West Coast. It also was a chance to try doing life a little differently: I moved to the semi-rural city of Olympia, Washington, the state capitol, with the dream of maintaining property for rescue animals while balancing a rewarding legal career. It’s been an interesting and rewarding endeavor so far!
I first got to know John Theiss by serving as a consultant for Truss Faber. I joined the Truss Faber team full-time because our skill sets complement each other and we have common perspectives on serving clients. Truss Faber is oriented around achieving value for clients and prioritizing results; I’m excited to be part of the firm as it continues to grow and thrive.
Q: What excites you about working with Truss Faber?
A: A priority in my career has been to develop relationships with clients and colleagues who come to feel that they can call me at any time with any issue. I take pride in getting to know clients – their business, priorities, and objectives – so that I can be more effective in both helping to solve crises that come up from time to time, and to cut through the everyday noise to help achieve durable results and solutions that address multiple factors at once. Also, it's exciting to be part of a team with colleagues so dedicated to client service.