CBP announced Ian Saunders as the “official U.S. candidate” for the position of secretary general of the World Customs Organization, it said in a news release. The WCO is set to elect its new leader in June. Saunders is currently deputy assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere in the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration.

Jones Day partner Sion Richards will head up the firm's global disputes practice, the firm announced. Based in London, Richards advises clients on "complex multijurisdictional investigations and litigation, with an emphasis on large-scale judgment or award enforcement cases as well as asset tracing, money laundering, and corruption investigations," the firm said. Richards takes over from Gregory Shumaker, who became managing partner Jan. 1.

Jason Prince, former chief counsel at the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, has moved to Crowell & Moring as a partner, the firm announced. He will advise clients on sanctions and export controls imposed on Russia and other nations and parties. During his time at OFAC, Prince "oversaw the legal design of new sanctions measures and led the legal review of all major OFAC enforcement, compliance, licensing, litigation, and regulatory actions," the firm said.

Sharath Patil, former associate attorney at Diaz Trade Law, has joined the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control as a sanctions enforcement officer, according to his LinkedIn page. Before working at Diaz Trade Law, Patil was research director for international trade at the nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen.

Jacob Garten, former Commerce Department international trade compliance analyst, has joined Buchanan Ingersoll as a specialist in the Washington office, the firm announced. His practice will center on representing clients in trade remedy proceedings, including antidumping and countervailing duty investigations "and other aspects of international law," the firm said. At Commerce, Garten carried out AD/CVD investigations, reviews and circumvention inquiries for more than five years.

Olivia Radin, former managing partner of Freshfields' New York office, has joined King & Spalding as a partner in the Special Matters and Government Investigations team based in New York, the firm announced. Radin will represent clients on significant risk matters involving "allegations of fraud, bribery, workplace misconduct, accounting and securities fraud, market manipulation, mis-selling and anti-money laundering violations," the firm said.

Karl Racine, the first elected attorney general for the District Columbia, has joined Hogan Lovells as a litigation partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Racine's practice will be centered on civil and white collar litigation and investigations based on his experience with issues including "privacy, social media, AI, antitrust, competition, financial services, ESG, civil rights, consumer protection, labor and employment, food and drug safety, child safety, false claims, environment, and government investigations," the firm said.

Robert Slack has joined Fenwick & West as a partner in its Washington, D.C.-based regulatory practice, the firm announced. Slack's practice focuses on economic sanctions, export controls and other trade compliance issues. He represents clients before the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration, the firm said. He is a former partner in Kelley Drye's trade and national security practice.

Mayer Brown announced partners Tim Keeler and Nikolay Mizulin as co-leaders of the firm's International Trade Practice, taking over from Duane Layton, who led the practice for 15 years. Keeler, who joined the firm in 2009, heads Mayer's Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. practice. Mizulin's practice centers on advising clients about "international and EU trade law, with particular emphasis on trade remedies, [World Trade Organization] Dispute Settlement, customs and sanctions," the firm said.

Gabriel Monzon-Cortarelli, former partner at Orrick Herrington, has joined Becker, a mid-size law firm based in Fort Lauderdale, to chair the International Practice Group for Europe and Latin America, the firm announced. Monzon-Cortarelli also will work as a shareholder in Becker's corporate practice based in New York and Milan. His practice will center on foreign direct investment into the U.S.