Canadian transportation and logistics firm Mullen Group announced that it has acquired customs brokerage firm Cole Group. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter, also includes the acquisition of Cole International and Abco International Freight.

Clete Willems, a former National Security Council official and Akin Gump trade lawyer, is joining Netflix as its chief global affairs officer, he said on LinkedIn. Willems served in the first Trump administration as a senior international economics official and sherpa to the Group of 7 and Group of 20.

Julia Bonestroo Banegas, former attorney at Husch Blackwell, joined Jones Walker as special counsel in the maritime practice group and member of the maritime regulatory team, the firm announced. Banegas' practice will center on advising clients on "federal and state maritime regulations" and "establishing compliance programs that support uninterrupted trade and efficient operations."

CBP Chief Counsel Fred Smith announced his retirement from CBP in a recent LinkedIn post. Smith, who said he will be retiring at the end of March, has been with CBP over 10 years. A successor has not yet been named on CBP's website.

Trade and patent attorney James Jeffries has rejoined Kutak Rock as an attorney in the intellectual property and corporate practice group, the firm announced. Jeffries worked as chief legal officer at Kuat Innovations from 2021 to 2025 after initially working for Kutak Rock as an attorney and partner from 2018 to 2021. At Kutak, Jeffries will work on trademark and patent matters, along with customs and international trade issues, including tariff exposure mitigation and vendor relationship structuring.

The entire international trade practice of Curtis Mallet-Prevost has joined Pillsbury Winthrop, Pillsbury announced on March 17. Led by partners Daniel Porter, Matthew McCullough and James Durling, the 14-member trade team will greatly expand Pillsbury's international trade practice, the firm said. Porter was the head of Curtis' trade practice, initially joining the firm in 2012.

Jane Dempsey, former attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the International Trade Commission, has joined Polsinelli as counsel in the trade remedies practice, the firm said. At the ITC, Dempsey served as lead counsel in trade remedies litigation before the Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The Washington International Trade Association announced that Nasim Fussell is the new chair of its board of directors. Steve Lamar of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, who had been the WITA board’s chair since 2004, will remain on as a board member. Fussell leads the trade practice at lobbying firm Lot Sixteen. She was previously chief international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and, before that, trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee.

Correction: Former CBP official Felicia Pullam has joined the newly created Center for Trade, Investment and Market Access within APCO, an advisory firm (see 2503040034).

Former CBP official Felicia Pullam has joined the newly created Center for Trade, Investment and Market Access within APCO International, an advisory firm. Pullam was most recently executive director of CBP's Office of Trade Relations.