The White House announced its withdrawals of some nominations left over from the Trump administration. Those include the Jan. 3 nomination of Joseph Barloon, former general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, for a judge's seat on the Court of International Trade. He was first nominated in October 2020, then renominated because all nominations in front of the Senate expired with the seating of the new Congress in January. Also withdrawn was the Jan. 6 nomination of William Kimmitt, a former counselor to the USTR, to fill a vacancy on the International Trade Commission. He was first nominated in December 2020.
Firearms trade expert Michael Andersen is the new director of regulatory services for Orchid, a federal firearms license business and compliance software company. Andersen will lead Orchid's international trade practice related to import/export licensing, alcohol, tobacco and firearms compliance, and firearms e-commerce regulations, the company said in a news release. Previously, Andersen was the director of compliance at Brownells, working on federal firearms compliance and international trade programs.
Todd Owen, who was executive assistant commissioner-CBP Office of Field Operations until last year (see 2008070012), recently joined Diaz Trade Law as senior trade adviser, Jennifer Diaz said by email.
In the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is being added to the Finance Committee, the Senate majority leader announced Feb. 2. In the House, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., are joining the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee chairman announced Feb. 2. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who has been a very active member of the Trade Subcommittee, will now head the Oversight Subcommittee. Republicans added three members to the Ways and Means Committee to replace two members who retired, and to reflect their larger numbers in the House: Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.; Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa.; and Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP promoted the head of its international trade practice Alfredo Fernández to partner in the Hartford, Conn. office, the firm announced via a press release on Jan. 25. Fernández previously worked as an associate at the firm and as an aerospace engineer before his career in law began in 2012.
Daniel Ujczo, a USMCA expert who has worked on compliance for automotive, advanced manufacturing, chemical and tech sectors so that their products meet rules of origin, is joining Thompson Hine's international trade and transportation practices as senior counsel in its Columbus, Ohio, office. Ujczo was the Canada-U.S. practice group chair at Dickinson Wright. In addition to his rules of origin expertise, the firm said he provides advice on tariff mitigation and exclusions, antidumping and countervailing duties, and procurement under Buy American rules.
Arent Fox hired Angela Santos, previously of Grunfeld Desiderio, as a partner in its New York office, the law firm said in an emailed news release. Santos “counsels clients on compliance with federal regulations involving the importation of merchandise,” the firm said.
Alexandra Whittaker, a trade counsel on the House Ways and Means Committee, is being promoted to chief trade counsel, with the departure of Katherine Tai, the U.S. trade representative nominee. Before joining Ways and Means in 2019, Whittaker worked at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in both Washington and Geneva. She graduated from Spelman College and the Howard University School of Law.
Grunfeld Desiderio elevated John Schoenig, Jordan Kahn, Brandon Petelin and Dharmendra Choudhary to partners, it said in a news release. The firm also added Tracey Gonzalez as of counsel and Ruting Chen and Katherine Dobscha as associates, it said.
Akin Gump promoted two trade lawyers to partners, it said Jan. 4. Jaelyn Edwards Judelson advises clients on sanctions and export controls, and Yujin Kim McNamara advises clients on international trade issues, including dispute settlements and trade remedies.