Rufus Yerxa, previously president of the National Foreign Trade Council, is now senior adviser at McLarty Associates, the consulting company said Jan. 31.

The National Foreign Trade Council named Tiffany Smith vice president for global trade policy. Most recently, she was a senior policy adviser in Mayer Brown's international trade and government relations practice. Before joining the law firm, she worked for 16 years in the federal government, including as a Senate staffer, and at the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Erik Autor, former president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones, has joined customs and trade law firm Barlow & Co. as of counsel, he announced on LinkedIn. Autor's background includes a clerkship at the Court of International Trade and working at Skadden Arps as a lawyer in its international trade practice group. He will assist companies with their customs and trade matters, the firm said.

Robert Friedman, former attorney-adviser for the State Department's Office of Legal Adviser, joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office's international trade practice, the firm announced. Friedman will advise businesses, trade associations and other clients on issues pertaining to "economic sanctions, export controls, foreign direct investment, supply chain security, customs laws, data privacy and cybersecurity, market access, anti-corruption and national security regulations," the firm said. Most recently, Friedman was an international trade partner at Harris Wiltshire.

With the exit of Rep. Devin Nunes of California to a new social media company, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee shuffled subcommittee leadership positions. Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska will be the new ranking member for the Trade Subcommittee, Ways and Means ranking member Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said.

Andrew Margolis, a 32-year official at the Federal Maritime Commission, joined Sandler Travis, the firm announced. Margolis brings an expertise in "dispute resolution and adjudication of complaints under the Shipping Act pertaining to ocean freight overcharges and unfair practices," it said. Margolis will be based in Sandler Travis' Miami office.

International trade lawyer Michelle Li was elected a partner at Thompson Hine, in its Washington office, the firm announced. Li works on a host of trade issues, including trade enforcement and anti-circumvention matters before CBP, the firm said.

Jeffrey Tafel, the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Western Michigan, will become president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones as of Feb. 1, the trade group said on Dec. 28.

Meredith DeMent has rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the North America International Commercial Practice Group, based in Washington, D.C., the firm announced. Returning from Sidley Austin, DeMent will grow her practice in which she will counsel companies on "all aspects of US customs and related trade laws, including current and rapidly evolving trade policy, compliance and duty mitigation strategies," the firm said. DeMent previously was an associate at Baker McKenzie from 2013 to 2019.

The Consumer Technology Association hired Ed Brzytwa, previously director of international trade at the American Chemistry Council, as vice president of international trade, the trade group said.