Alexander Fried, trade attorney at the Commerce Department, has left the agency, he announced on LinkedIn. Fried worked as an attorney adviser at Commerce since September 2022, advising the International Trade Administration on various issues, including digital service taxes, implementing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, UFLPA litigation, and trade remedies investigations and litigation.

The White House has nominated Julie Callahan, the assistant U.S. trade representative for agricultural affairs and commodity policy, to be chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Callahan previously held positions at the FDA and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.

Mayur Patel, former chief international trade counsel to the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the international trade and investment practice, the firm announced. As a Senate staffer, Patel played a key role in overseeing "major Trump-era trade measures," the firm said. Prior to joining the Senate, Patel worked as associate general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Louis Sola, who was chosen earlier this year by President Donald Trump to chair the Federal Maritime Commission, said June 30 "marks the conclusion" of his tenure as chairman of the commission. Trump nominated Sola to the FMC in 2018. Terms for commissioners are five years, with one term ending each year on June 30. A commissioner may serve up to an additional two years until a successor is named.

Patrick Spaulding, previously deputy director for trade and field operations at CBP's Office of Congressional Relations, has joined Sandler Travis as director of international trade and government relations, the firm announced. Amadi Anene, formerly an international trade law consultant, also joined the firm, it said.

Joshua Kurland, a 15-year trial attorney at DOJ, has joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the international trade and investment practice, the firm announced. At DOJ, Kurland led the government's litigation efforts in many cases in the Commercial Litigation Branch, including over 250 international trade-related cases. From January 2024 to January 2025, he sered as a trial attorney detailed in DOJ's national security division, covering counterintelligence and export control matters.

Nerissa Hamilton-vom Baur, former CBP attorney in the Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings, has joined Stinson as of counsel in the Washington, D.C., office's energy, environmental, mining and transportation practice, the firm announced. At CBP, Hamilton-vom Baur also served as a trade policy liaison to Congress to assist with coordination on "key trade initiatives," the firm said.

Joshua Kurland, senior trial counsel at DOJ, said on LinkedIn that he's leaving the department after working as a trial attorney for nearly 16 years. Kurland has worked as senior trial counsel since 2009, representing the government at litigation on "international trade, appeals, Government contracts, and administrative law disputes."

Scott McBride, a former longtime official at the Commerce Department overseeing the administration of antidumping and countervailing duty laws, has joined The Bristol Group as counsel, the firm announced. McBride served at Commerce for over 25 years, most recently as associate deputy chief counsel for trade enforcement and compliance. He told us he stayed over the last few years to oversee the agency's major regulatory changes to its AD/CVD administration, which included the ability to address transnational subsidies (see 2505020067), then recently decided to take early retirement.

Patrick Childress, former assistant general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the international trade practice, the firm announced. Childress joined the USTR general counsel office in 2020, where he advised Congress, administration officials and federal agencies on various trade matters, including "digital trade, climate, trade in automotives, foreign investment and regional matters involving Canada and Mexico," the firm said.