Jason Kenner, a 14-year Department of Justice trial attorney, joined Sandler Travis to head the firm's litigation practice, the firm announced Sept. 27. At DOJ, Kenner most recently was senior trial counsel handling federal trial and appellate international trade litigation. He worked in DOJ's Civil Division, International Trade Field Office and the Trade Fraud Task Force, where he was responsible for formulating and implementing litigation strategies while representing CBP, the Commerce Department and other trade-related agencies, Sandler Travis said.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah will resign from the Department of Justice effective Oct. 1, DOJ said Sept. 22. Named to the position Jan. 10, Shah moved ahead on many DOJ priorities, from “violent crime and cybersecurity to corporate fraud and False Claims Act enforcement,” DOJ said. Shah will be entering private practice in Texas, the announcement said.

Naboth van den Broek, former co-chair of the International Group at Wilmer Hale, has joined Akin Gump as a partner in the international trade practice, working out of the Washington, D.C., London and Geneva offices, the firm announced Sept. 20. Van den Broek has experience in international dispute settlement and arbitration matters at the World Trade Organization and at various European Union, United Kingdom and U.S. tribunals, the firm said. His expertise also includes international trade, free trade agreements and international compliance.

Former CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner for Trade Brenda Smith recently joined Expeditors as global director of government outreach, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Christopher Stagg joined Miller & Chevalier as counsel in its International Department, the firm announced. Stagg formerly served as a senior policy adviser with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls at the State Department, where he worked as the deputy lead in rewriting the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations, the firm said. This work also entailed revising the U.S. Munitions List and Commerce Control List. At his own firm, Stagg cultivated experience on export controls, economic sanctions and Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S. matters, the firm said.

Joe Walker, former head of Squire Patton's white collar practice, joined the white collar team at Orrick as a partner, the firm announced. Walker has expertise on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters and cases before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Orrick said. Walker also served as a prosecutor in the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Fraud Section, where he led the first joint FCPA enforcement action between the SEC and DOJ. He has represented “major financial institutions in enforcement matters” and was “a DOJ- and SEC-appointed FCPA compliance monitor for Weatherford International as well as counsel to the monitor in the first-ever FCPA monitorship by an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation,” the firm said.

International Trade Commission investigative attorney Monica Bhattacharyya will now serve as an administrative law judge, the commission announced Sept. 13. As an ALJ, Bhattacharyya will “manage an active litigation docket, preside over evidentiary hearings, and make initial determinations in the Commission’s investigations involving unfair practices in import trade under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930,” the ITC said. Bhattacharyya joined the ITC in 2012 as an investigative attorney in the Office of Unfair Import Investigations. She previously was a partner at Kasowitz Benson, working in the firm's intellectual property group in its New York office.

Richard Sofield has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in its National Security and International Trade practice in Washington, the firm said. Sofield joins from Wiley Rein, where he led the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. practice group, focusing on cross-border investment and national security matters, the firm said. For 24 years before joining Wiley Rein, Sofield worked as a government attorney, including as director of the foreign investment review staff for the National Security Division at the Department of Justice. Overseeing DOJ's participation in CFIUS, Sofield reviewed more than 1,000 acquisitions for national security purposes, the firm said.

Squire Patton brought on new partners for its Singapore and Perth, Australia, offices, the firm said. Ivan Chia joined Squire Patton's Corporate Practice and Commodities and Shipping Industry Group in Singapore. He previously served as a partner at HFW and Watson Farley, specializing in international energy, renewables and infrastructure. Hazel Brewer joined the firm's Commodities and Shipping Industry Group in Perth, bringing more than 30 years' experience in “shipping, offshore, international trade and marine insurance,” the firm said. She also previously worked at HFW.

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade tapped McDermott Will, along with its consortium partners TLT and Borden Ladner, to advise on three post-Brexit trade agreements, the U.K.-based law firm said. The three agreements include the U.K.'s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and two bilateral free trade agreements with Canada and Mexico. The CPTPP is an 11-party trade pact that includes Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. “Trade negotiations of this size are significant, given the potential impact they will have on the future economic opportunities for the United Kingdom and its position relative to key partner nations around the globe,” Joanne Osendarp, co-head of McDermott’s International Trade group, said. “Our team is one of the strongest in the world when it comes to trade negotiations and we look forward to bringing those skills to bear as the UK government navigates this complex global trade landscape.”