Pete Mento, previously vice president of global trade and managed services at Crane Worldwide Logistics, recently joined Crowe as managing director, global customs and duties.
Polsinelli hired Michelle Schulz, previously at Ackerman, as a shareholder and chair of the firm’s International Trade and Customs practice in Polsinelli's Dallas office, the firm said in a news release. Matthew Savage, also previously with Akerman, will join the practice as a trade analyst in Dallas. Luis Arandia Jr., who comes from Givens & Johnston, will join as an associate in the Dallas office. "We expect the dynamic combination of our existing franchise transactions and litigation practice with the exciting work being done in international trade and customs and franchising by our new team members will vigorously move us forward as we continue to expand our footprint to better serve our clients wherever they do business,” said Joyce Mazero, co-chair of the firm’s national Global Franchise and Supply Network practice.
Bradley Hayes, executive director of CBP's Office of Trade Relations, is now acting assistant commissioner for CBP’s Office of Congressional Affairs, according to the July 10 issue of OCA's monthly newsletter.
Stephen Vaughn, former general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, will rejoin King & Spalding as a partner, the law firm said in a July 9 news release. Vaughn was at the law firm before going to USTR. Vaughn "has been directly involved in every major trade-related determination and negotiation that has occurred in the past two and a half years,” said Wick Sollers, head of the firm’s Government Matters practice group, which is over the International Trade team that Vaughn will be joining.
Paula Connelly, a solo practitioner customs lawyer in Boston, will join Sandler Travis effective July 1, she said in an email. Connelly will also be establishing the firm's Boston office, she said. In a June 24 announcement, Sandler Travis said she is a member of the AD/CV working group for CBP’s Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee who will bring “a stellar reputation for helping businesses address and resolve import and export compliance issues.”
Norton Rose rehired Stefan Reisinger, who was in the international trade practice at Morgan Lewis and at Norton Rose before that, the law firm said in a June 18 news release.
Aluminum Association CEO Heidi Brock is moving to become CEO of the American Forest and Paper Association, and The Aluminum Association board is looking for her successor. Brock served as CEO of the Aluminum producers' trade group for eight years. Its 120 members produce 70 percent of all aluminum and aluminum products in North America.
Monument Advocacy added Anderson Heiman, previously senior adviser for technology and trade on the technology team of Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the lobbying firm said in a news release.
Steve Francis is the new assistant director of the interagency Global Trade Investigations Division (GTID) and director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, ICE Homeland Security Investigations said in a news release. The Counter-Proliferation Investigations (CPI) Unit and the Export Enforcement Coordination Center (E2C2) are both now part of GTID, a "newly-formed division that was created as part of a headquarters reorganization," ICE said. “With this realignment, the IPR Center is better positioned to maximize the effectiveness of its 25-agency partnerships in the fight against intellectual property theft and trade law violations,” Francis said. “We value these partnerships and the collaboration that further strengthens them.” Francis previously served as the special agent in charge of HSI operations in Michigan and Ohio and was involved in creating the Global Trade Task Force, another interagency effort (see 1903200033).
Celeste Drake, who was the trade specialist at the AFL-CIO for the last eight years, has moved to the Directors Guild of America as the top executive for government affairs. DGA National Executive Director Russell Hollander said: “Her extensive labor union, legislative and trade expertise make her uniquely suited for this role. We look forward to putting her broad experience to use advocating for our members on the critical policy issues that impact their creative and economic rights.” Intellectual property and anti-piracy legislation is important to the movie directors represented by the guild, as well as pension issues.