Attorneys

Office

3111 Stirling Road

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33312

Tel: 954.985.4101

Fax: 954.985.4176

Practice Group

  • Customs and International Trade Department
  • European Practice Group

Areas of Emphasis

  • Customs Law
  • International Trade
  • Civil Litigation
  • Import/Export

 

 

Peter A. Quinter

(Shareholder)

Professional Experience

Since May 1994, Mr. Quinter, a shareholder, has been in charge of the Customs and International Trade Department of the international law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. Mr. Quinter principally represents persons and companies involved in international trade and transportation, including litigation in the federal courts located in Florida and the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. Board Certified in International Law, Mr. Quinter was appointed by the Florida Bar to the International Law Certification Committee.

Florida Trend Magazine recognized Mr. Quinter in 2004 and 2006 among its "Legal Elite" in the area of International Law. This designation was based upon a poll of Florida attorneys, who selected peers in the top 2% of their respective practice areas. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce appointed Mr. Quinter to the Florida District Export Council because of his knowledge and experience in international trade. Mr. Quinter was also selected as a "Florida Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics magazine which named Florida's top lawyers as chosen by their peers.

Prior to joining Becker & Poliakoff, for five years, Mr. Quinter served as legal counsel at the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the United States Customs Service (now known as Customs and Border Protection) in Miami, Florida. Responsibilities included providing legal advice and representation to management of Customs on all matters involving the administration and enforcement of the customs and international trade laws. He provided legal advice on virtually all activities of Customs undertaken by its enforcement, commercial operations, inspection and control, fines, penalties, and forfeitures, and regulatory audit personnel. Mr. Quinter provided assistance to the U.S. Department of Justice in civil and criminal prosecutions on a variety of customs violations, including commercial fraud, trade embargoes, and export controls.

Please visit our Bioterrorism Act Website which describes how the Bioterrorism Act affects those companies that import food products into the USA: www.fda-usa.com

Activities & Memberships

  • Executive Council, International Law Section, Florida Bar, 1996-2004, 2007-current
  • Chair, Customs Committee, Florida Bar, 2000-current
  • Chair, International Committee, Broward Alliance, 2007-current
  • World Trade Center, Miami, Florida, Board of Directors
  • Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association, Inc. (FCBF), Board of Directors
  • American Bar Association, Customs Law Committee, Co-Chair
  • Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA)

Publications

 

Articles

Presentations

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, "FDA AND YOUR FOOD SAFETY, Best Practices for Importing Food, Dietary Supplements, and Medical Devices, in cooperation with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, August 22, 2007

Orlando, Florida, "FDA AND YOUR FOOD SAFETY, Best Practices for Importing Food, Dietary Supplements, and Medical Devices," in cooperation with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, September 11, 2007

Frankfurt, Germany, "U.S. Export Controls and Economic Sanctions", Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, March 10, 2006

Tysons Corner, Virginia, "Special Issues for International Litigation," Enforcement of IP Rights at the Border Conference, Law Seminars International, Sep.12-13, 2005

Miami, Florida, "Customs’ Seizures and Penalty Actions" Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (FCBF), March 2, 2005

Orlando, Florida, "Cross Border Enforcement of Trademarks by U.S. Customs," American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), January 28, 2005

Orlando, Florida, "Advance Electronic Presentation of Cargo Information and C-TPAT," Global Logistics Associates, B.V., February 20, 2004

Guatemala City, Guatemala, "The Bioterrorism Act and FDA Compliance," Escuela de Comercio Exterior de AGEXPRONT, July 17-21, 2003

Orlando, Florida, "Customs Recordkeeping Requirements and Prior Disclosures", Orlando Air Cargo Association, November 1998

Atlanta, Georgia, "FAA Civil Penalties for HAZMAT," International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual Conference, February 14, 2001

Tampa, Florida, "Preparing for Civil and Criminal Investigations by Customs," March 23, 2000

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, "Transnational Litigation", National Association of Credit Managers, January 1997

Tampa, Florida, "NAFTA", Mexico-Florida Business Matchmaking Conference, September 1994

Bar Admissions

Florida, 1989

Court Admissions

United States District Court, Southern District of Florida

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

United States Court of International Trade

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

United States District Court, Middle District of Florida

Education

J.D., The American University, Washington College of Law, 1989

B.S., Cornell University, 1986