Jorge Vera, former senior counsel for trade and sanctions at Boeing, has joined the Washington, D.C., office of Jacobson Burton as of counsel, the law firm announced this week. Vera will advise on international trade, sanctions compliance, transactional issues and enforcement.

Drew Jones, a former intelligence operations specialist with the State Department, began a new role with the agency this month as a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation’s Office of Critical Technology Protection, he announced on LinkedIn. The office creates foreign policy to "protect U.S. critical technologies and to counter the malign influence and destabilizing behavior of competitive powers," according to its mission statement. Jones has worked at the State Department since 2019.

Ross Denton, a U.K.-based export control, sanctions and trade lawyer, has joined Akin’s London office as a senior counsel in its international trade practice, the firm announced on LinkedIn. Ross previously worked for Van Vael & Bellis.

John Austerman, a former Pentagon official, is starting a new job as a division chief with the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, he announced last week on LinkedIn. The bureau oversees the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Austerman most recently worked for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

Virginia Lenahan was named the chief international trade counsel on the Senate Finance Committee’s majority staff, committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced in an Oct. 3 emailed news release. Since joining the committee in 2019 as a trade counsel, Lenahan has worked on issues related to USMCA, the Inflation Reduction Act and more.

Paul Ledet has joined U.S. semiconductor company AMD as its director of trade compliance, he announced on LinkedIn. Ledet previously helped oversee trade compliance and classification for National Instruments.

Jae Shin, director of compliance for the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, is on a professional sabbatical this year studying at the National War College, which educates government officials on national security strategy and similar topics, a State Department spokesperson said. John Foster, DDTC’s division chief for compliance and enforcement, is filling in for Shin. Foster’s official title during Shin’s sabbatical is acting director of compliance.

Kathleen Palma, former vice president of global trade controls at Boeing, has joined American semiconductor company Applied Materials as vice president of global trade, she announced on LinkedIn. She began her new role this month.

Jacob Loshin, former assistant general counsel for enforcement and intelligence at the Treasury Department, has joined the law firm Sparacino, which specializes in anti-terrorism and whistleblowing matters, he announced on LinkedIn. Loshin left Treasury earlier this month (see 2409090007).

Michaela Chen, a former senior trade adviser with the EU’s delegation in the U.S., is joining the National Foreign Trade Council’s board of directors, she announced on LinkedIn. Chen currently works as the senior director for international affairs at medical device firm BD.