Alan Levesque, former senior managing director at Ankura and former vice president at Raytheon, has joined Wiggin and Dana as a partner in the litigation and international trade compliance practices. Based in Washington, D.C., Levesque's practice will draw from his experience leading Ankura and Raytheon through export consent agreements, Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. audits, and "complex regulatory and enforcement issues," the firm said. Levesque brings a lengthy resume to Wiggin and Dana, including stints at Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand, and Nufern.

Andrew Adams, the DOJ attorney at the head of Task Force KleptoCapture -- the interagency body charged with enforcing U.S. sanctions on Russia -- left the department, he said on his LinkedIn page. Adams will return to his role as assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which he originally assumed in 2013. He was appointed to lead the task force in March of last year after leading the SDNY Attorney's Office's Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Bloomberg reported that Adams will be replaced by Michael Khoo and David Lim, both of whom have worked in the task force since its early days. DOJ didn't comment.

Anna Dias, former partner at Gide Loyrette, has joined DLA Piper as an international trade partner in the Brussels office, the firm announced. Dias' practice will center on international trade law and EU regulatory matters with a special focus on antidumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard proceedings along with World Trade Organization rules-related advice, the firm said. She also works on EU sanctions compliance. Prior to working at Gide Loyrette, Dias worked for the Brazilian Mission to the WTO in Geneva.

The State Department appointed Timothy Betts acting deputy assistant secretary for the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, according to DDTC’s personnel page, which was updated this month. Betts, who was previously the acting coordinator for counterterrorism and acting special envoy for the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State group, started in the new role in May, according to his LinkedIn page. Betts is the latest official to take over after the departure of Mike Miller in December, who left to become the deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (see 2212120004). Miller had been temporarily replaced by Catherine Hamilton, DDTC’s licensing director. An agency spokesperson at the time said the “position will rotate among DDTC directorates office directors until a new permanent deputy assistant secretary is formally selected and announced."

Carol Lee, former associate at Clifford Chance, has joined Womble Bond as a partner in the business litigation group. Lee's practice will center on export controls, economic sanctions, Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. proceedings and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters, the firm said.

Joseph Cristofaro left his position as chair of the End-User Review Committee to become the new director of the Bureau of Industry and Security's Sensors and Aviation Division, he announced during a July 18 technical advisory committee meeting. Cristofaro said he started his new role in late May.

Akin added three partners from Hughes Hubbard to its Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Ryan Fayhee, a former national security official at DOJ, will advise clients on sanctions and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. reviews, incident response and compliance best practices. Roy Liu will focus on U.S.-China trade matters, sanctions, export controls, customs cases and CFIUS proceedings, and Tyler Grove will focus on sanctions and trade regulations.

Hughes Hubbard this month announced attorneys Jan Dunin-Wasowicz and Sean Reilly will lead its Sanctions, Export Controls and Anti‑Money Laundering Practice Group. Dunin-Wasowicz, based in Paris, will oversee EU sanctions matters, while Reilly, a former Commerce Department official based in Washington, will oversee U.S. issues. Hughes Hubbard Chair Ted Mayer said the firm wanted to ensure the practice’s leadership includes “individuals who possess not only regulatory expertise but also a background in investigations.”

USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service this week swore in 11 new officials to advocate for U.S. agricultural exports around the world. FAS will station two officers in Tokyo, two in Beijing, and one each in Dubai, New Delhi, Hanoi, Mexico City, Ankara, Seoul and Ottawa. FAS Undersecretary Alexis Taylor said the new officers will "strengthen our Foreign Service as they begin their work protecting and advancing the interests of U.S. agriculture, which today is more crucial than ever as the world's agricultural trade grows more competitive and dynamic.”

Andrea Gacki is leaving her role as director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control to become the new director of the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the agency announced July 13. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Gacki helped guide OFAC through “major world events,” including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and “expertly” deployed financial sanctions, industry guidance and enforcement actions “to hold accountable those who threaten our national security and the international financial system.”