저자 최원목은 서울대학교 법과대학(법학사) 및 동 행정대학원(정책학 석사), 미국 조지타운대학교 로스쿨 (법학석사 LL.M. 및 법학박사 S.J.D.)을 졸업하고 한국 국제경제법학회 회장, 한국 에너지법제연구회 회장, 한국 ABS포럼 회장을 맡고있다. 외무부/외교통상부/통상교섭본부에서 근무했으며 (제23회 외무고시, 제34회 행정고시) 미 뉴욕주 변호사, Journal of International Economic Law(Oxford) 편집위원, Indian Journal of International Economic Law 편집위원, Journal of Korea Trade 편집위원, The Law and Development Review 편집위원, Korea Journal of International and Comparative Law 편집장
싱가폴대학교, 홍콩대학교 방문교수로 근무했다. 매일경제 객원논설위원, 서울신문, 디지털타임즈, 한국경제, 조선일보, 세계일보, 문화일보 등 칼럼리스트로도 활동했으며 현재는 이화여자대학교 법학전문대학원 교수다.

주요 저서 및 논문으로는 ?Like Products? in International Trade Law-Towards a Consistent GATT/WTO Jurisprudence (Oxford University Press, 2003), Trade Law and Regulation in Korea (Co-author) (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011), International Economic Law?Asia-Pacific Perspectives (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015), Regional Economic Integration in East Asia: Prospect and Jurisprudence (Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, 2003), Legal Problems of Making Regional Trade Agreements with Non-WTO-Member States (Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford Univ. Press, 2005), Legal Analysis of Korea-ASEAN Regional Trade Integration (Journal of World Trade, Kluwer Law International, 2007), To Comply or Not To Comply? - Non-implementation Problems in the WTO Dispute Settlement System (Journal of World Trade, Kluwer Law International, 2007), The Present and Future of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement Paradigm (Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, 2007), Aggressive Regionalism in Korea-U.S. FTA: The Present and Future of Korea's FTA Policy (Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, 2009), Defragmenting Fragmented Rules of Origin of RTAs: A Building Block to Global Free Trade (Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, 2010), China?s First Loss (Co-author) (Journal of World Trade, Kluwer Law International, 2011), FTAs and Safeguard Norms: Their Variation and Compatibility (Asian Journal of WTO & International Health Law and Policy, 2011), Aggressive Regionalism with the First Partner in the Far East: The Korea-EU FTA and Its Implications for the Future (European Yearbook of Int’l Economic Law, Springer, 2015), WTO비차별원칙의 이해 및 적용 (법무부, 2003), 농업통상법 (법영사, 2015), 로스쿨 국제법 사례연습 (공저) (박영사 2019), 신국제경제법 (공저) (박영사 2019), 남북한 경제협력 정책과 한국의 자유무역협정 추진과의 관계 - 국제통상법적 접근 (국제법학회논총, 2002) 등이 있다.