Maura Rezendes, former head of the sanctions team at A&O Shearman, has joined Sidley as a partner in the global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice, the firm announced last week. Rezendes' practice centers on "regulatory compliance advice and counseling, transactional support, investigations and enforcement" of economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Serena Tang, who recently left her position as a trial attorney at the Federal Maritime Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance (see 2509290029), is joining law firm Husch Blackwell, she announced on LinkedIn Oct. 14.

Two former CBP officials, Teresa Halpin and Rick Lawlor, have joined KPMG as directors of the firm's trade enforcement and advisory services practice, Andrew Siciliano, KPMG's trade and customs global practice lead, announced on LinkedIn. Halpin joins the firm after over 36 years at CBP, most recently working as the New York field director for CBP's Office of Trade Regulatory Audit. Lawlor comes to KPMG after over 33 years at the agency, most recently working as a field director, where he managed nine audit branches across the East Coast.

Eric Johnson left his position last week as principal deputy chief of DOJ's National Security Division, where he oversaw the agency's work on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and other national-security-related issues, he announced on LinkedIn. Johnson had been with DOJ for close to two decades.

Carrie Owens, former director of enforcement operations at CBP, has joined Kelley Drye as a partner in the international trade practice group, the firm announced. She will serve as co-chair of Kelley Drye's customs practice. Owens joins the private sector after two decades in federal government service, which began in 2005 when she started at the Commerce Department as a senior attorney. She went to CBP in 2010 as a branch chief and supervising attorney before being elevated to director in 2016.

Chris Duncan, former partner at Stein Shostak, has joined Squire Patton in the international trade and foreign investment practice group in the firm's Los Angeles office, the firm announced. Prior to joining Stein Shostak, Duncan worked for 16 years at CBP as a senior attorney, most recently holding the position of assistant chief counsel in San Francisco. Duncan works on a host of customs issues, including on classification, Section 301 tariffs, valuation, country of origin and marking rules, the firm said.

John Foote, former chief of Kelley Drye's customs practice, has joined Sidley as a partner in the global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice, the firm announced. Foote, who worked at Kelley Drye since 2020, represents clients on various customs matters at both the administrative and judicial levels, including classification, valuation, country of origin, drawback, tariff exclusions, withhold release orders and antidumping/countervailing duty evasion issues, Sidley said. Prior to joining Kelley Drye, Foote worked as an associate and partner at Baker McKenzie for six years.

Brian Nelson, one of the Treasury Department's top sanctions officials during the administration of Joe Biden, has joined Cooley to lead its national security practice, the law firm announced last week. Nelson previously served as Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, where he oversaw the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Nelson will work on issues related to sanctions, export controls, national security investigations and more, the firm said.

Robert Palmer, former senior international trade compliance analyst at the Commerce Department, has joined boutique trade law firm Lighthill as a trade adviser, the firm announced on LinkedIn. Palmer joined Commerce in 2008, where he led antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations across various products and countries. Palmer's LinkedIn profile says he retired from Commerce in April.

Serena Tang, who enforces the Shipping Act as a trial attorney at the Federal Maritime Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance, said in a case filing Sept. 29 that she is resigning from the FMC effective Oct. 3. Tang has been with the commission for four years, according to her LinkedIn profile.