Stephen Vaden, general counsel at the Department of Agriculture, was approved for the Court of International Trade in early January. Vaden, in the hearing on his nomination, said he would decide later if he should recuse himself on Section 301 cases (see 1911150010). He was involved in discussions on aid to farmers sent because of Chinese retaliation for the Section 301 tariffs.

Sandler Travis hired Elizabeth Chiavetta, previously “director of audit policy at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where she oversaw three branches within Regulatory Audit’s Audit Policy Division,” to the firm's auditing team, it said in a news release. Sandler Travis also added David Thomas, previously chairman of Trade for America and vice president for trade policy at Business Roundtable, as a member of the firm, it said. “As an attorney and lobbyist, David Thomas will advise and represent clients on international trade issues before Congress and the Executive Branch as well as assist on issues related to customs rules, policies, and procedures,” the firm said.

Akin Gump hired Hagir Elawad, previously legislative affairs director for the United Arab Emirates Embassy in the U.S., as a senior policy advisor in the firm's international trade practice, it said in a news release. While at the embassy, she worked on “a wide array of issues, including sanctions, export controls, aviation and aerospace, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States matters,” the firm said.