About me

Address: Houston: 1111 Louisiana Street, 44th Floor, Houston, TX 77002-5200; Washington, D.C.: Robert S. Strauss Tower, 2001 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006-1037

Areas of Focus: Administrative & Regulatory Litigation; International Trade; International Trade Policy; Regulatory; Supreme Court & Appellate; Trade Remedy Litigation; World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Resolution & Counseling; Patent Litigation; Pro Bono; Sovereign Governments; Climate Change; Customs & Import Controls; Projects & Energy Transition; Consumer Protection; Tariff Enforcement Defense; International Trade Commission

Biography:
Devin helps government and corporate clients across the globe navigate complex international trade laws and policies to seize opportunities and avoid risks. With a particular focus on trade policy and trade remedy matters, Devin has represented corporations, big and small, across numerous industries, as well as counseled industry associations and sovereigns.
Clients look to Devin for advice on a broad range of questions related to imports, including antidumping and countervailing duty measures, trade policy and customs matters. He also advises clients on a wide variety of issues arising under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, Section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
Thanks to his extensive experience before U.S. courts and international tribunals, Devin regularly leads clients through high-stakes litigation challenging unfavorable international trade laws and determinations. Those high-profile trade disputes have concerned imports whose value exceeded billions of dollars. In these matters, Devin develops effective strategies, authors briefs and argues cases. He frequently appears before the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as before dispute settlement panels established under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Chapter 10 and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Understanding.
In April 2020, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) appointed Devin to the U.S. roster of panelists who resolve antidumping and countervailing disputes arising under Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Following the implementation of the USMCA, Devin’s appointment carried over to the U.S. roster of panelists who resolve disputes arising under USMCA Chapter 10. USTR has reappointed Devin to that roster each year since 2020.
In October 2023, the CIT appointed Devin to its Rules Advisory Committee, carrying a term of five years.
Apart from his work on international trade matters, Devin has counseled clients on a broad range of issues in disputes before the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the D.C., Federal, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 11th Circuits.
Prior to joining Akin, Devin served in the U.S. government for nearly a decade in various roles in the judicial and executive branches. Most recently, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Evan J. Wallach of the Federal Circuit.
Earlier in his career, Devin was a senior attorney in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance. He represented Commerce in a series of significant antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings. Devin received numerous awards for his advocacy, including a Gold Medal (the highest form of honorary recognition for distinguished performance bestowed by the Secretary of Commerce) and a Bronze Medal (the highest honorary award for superior performance granted by Commerce’s International Trade Administration).
Devin began his career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judith M. Barzilay of the CIT. In that role, he assisted Judge Barzilay in actions before her at the CIT and in matters assigned to her when she sat by designation on the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 6th, 9th and 11th Circuits, as well as on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Devin is a native Kansan and citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

Representative Work:
- Represent five industry associations in antidumping proceeding on fresh tomatoes from Mexico and related appeals before the CIT and Federal Circuit.
- Represent the Government of British Columbia in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings regarding certain softwood lumber products from Canada and in related appeals before the CIT, the Federal Circuit, NAFTA/USMCA panels, and the WTO.
- Represented various companies before the Federal Circuit in a dispute involving several hundred million dollars in duties on solar products.
- Successfully defended Commerce before the CIT and the Federal Circuit in constitutional litigation challenging retroactive legislation. If unsuccessful, Commerce could have been prevented from applying the countervailing duty law to nonmarket economy countries such as China and imposing $4 billion in duties.
- Represented the U.S. before the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body in an appeal concerning whether Section 129 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act is inconsistent with various articles of the WTO Anti-dumping Agreement. At stake was the ability of the U.S. to implement adverse WTO rulings. Both the panel and the Appellate Body found that Section 129 was WTO-consistent.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 2008; B.A., University of Kansas, 2005
Bar Admissions: District of Columbia, 2011; New York, 2009; Texas, 2014
Court Admissions: U.S.C.A., 3rd Circuit, 2024; U.S.D.C., Eastern District of New York, 2010; U.S. Court of International Trade, 2010; U.S.C.A., 2nd Circuit, 2010; U.S. Supreme Court, 2012; U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York, 2010; U.S.C.A., Federal Circuit, 2017
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Recognitions:
- Diversity Journal , Native American Indigenous Leadership Award, 2024.
- Akin Philadelphia, Pro Bono Team of the Year, 2024.
- The Legal 500 US , International Trade, 2021 and 2024.
- Super Lawyers, Texas, Rising Star, 2019-2023.
- Super Lawyers, Washington, D.C., Rising Star, 2018-2019.
- Akin Houston, Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2022.
- Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, High Honors, 2018-2019.

Affiliations:
- Board of Directors, Customs and International Trade Bar Association.
- Board of Governors, University of Kansas School of Law.
- Co-Chair of the International Trade Committee, Federal Circuit Bar Association.
- Member, U.S. Court of International Trade Rules Advisory Committee.
- Member, U.S. Roster for United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement Chapter 10 Disputes.
- Member, American Bar Association.
- Member, Advisory Board, Georgetown Law International Trade Update
- Member, Planning Committee, U.S. Court of International Trade Judicial Conference

Insights:
- Texas Pauses Data Center Interconnections Pending Statewide Audit (August 7, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/texas-pauses-data-center-interconnections-pending-statewide-audit
- Oil & Gas in 2026: Emerging Trends & Predictions (February 5, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/oil-and-gas-in-2026-emerging-trends-and-predictions
- Oil & Gas in 2026: Trade Policy (February 5, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/oil-and-gas-in-2026-trade-policy
- New Antidumping Duty Petition on Fresh Winter Strawberries From Mexico (December 31, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-antidumping-duty-petition-on-fresh-winter-strawberries-from-mexico
- New Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions on Van-Type Trailers and Subassemblies Thereof from Canada, Mexico, and China (November 24, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-petitions-on-van-type-trailers-and-subassemblies-thereof-from-canada-mexico-and-china
- WTO Rules Against EU’s Attribution Method, Avoids Definitive Ruling on Legality of Transnational Subsidies (October 8, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/wto-rules-against-eus-attribution-method-avoids-definitive-ruling-on-legality-of-transnational-subsidies
- DOJ and DHS Launch Cross-Agency Task Force to Combat Trade Fraud (September 5, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/doj-and-dhs-launch-cross-agency-task-force-to-combat-trade-fraud
- Tariff Evasion and Customs Fraud Under the Microscope: DOJ Signals Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Ahead (August 26, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/tariff-evasion-and-customs-fraud-under-the-microscope-doj-signals-aggressive-criminal-enforcement-ahead
- AD/CVD Petitions on Solar Cells and Modules from India, Indonesia and Laos (“Solar IV”) (July 25, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/adcvd-petitions-on-solar-cells-and-modules-from-india-indonesia-and-laos-solar-iv
- Devin S. Sikes Appointed to Serve as Co-Chair of the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s International Trade Committee (July 10, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/devin-s-sikes-appointed-to-serve-as-co-chair-of-the-federal-circuit-bar-associations-international-trade-committee
- Akin Advises Nippon Steel Corporation in Its Historic Partnership with United States Steel Corporation (June 20, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-advises-nippon-steel-corporation-in-its-historic-partnership-with-united-states-steel-corporation
- Navigating U.S. Policy Shifts in the Critical Minerals Sector (June 12, 2025 ): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/blogs/speaking-energy/navigating-us-policy-shifts-in-the-critical-minerals-sector