Margaret Cekuta, a former chief of staff to the U.S. trade representative general counsel, has been hired as senior director for trade and innovation policy at the National Foreign Trade Council. Her portfolio will include intellectual property, digital trade, environment and health, and she will lead on NFTC engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

AnnaLou Tirol, former deputy director of the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, has joined O'Melveny & Myers as a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based White Collar Defense & Corporate Investigations Practice Group, the firm announced. Tirol also will work in the Fintech and National Security Groups, where her practice will center around financial services, digital assets and fintech sectors on regulatory issues involving the Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and Corporate Transparency Act, the firm said. While at FinCEN, Tirol oversaw the network's anti-money laundering programs including regulatory matters and enforcement of anti-money laundering laws.

Deborah Connor, former chief of DOJ's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, has joined Morrison Foerster as a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based Litigation Department, the firm announced. While at DOJ, Connor oversaw various investigative actions, including matters involving violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and economic sanctions. Before taking over MLARS, Connor served at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia for 16 years, working in various roles, including as chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, where she led the prosecution of cases involving violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the firm said. At Morrison Foerster, Connor will center her practice on anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act matters.

Brianna Krominga, former trade attorney at Stanton, joined business law firm LimNexus as a senior associate in the Washington, D.C.-based International Trade & Regulatory Compliance group, the firm announced. Krominga previously co-led a court-appointed compliance monitor team for the "largest criminal monitorship in U.S. history for export controls and sanctions violations," the firm said. Krominga also helped lead the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security corporate audit of a Chinese multinational telecom company. Her practice will center on export controls, economic sanctions, customs and Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters, LimNexus said.

Maria Alejandra (Jana) del-Cerro, former regulatory and multilateral affairs analyst at the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Control's Policy office, has rejoined Crowell & Moring, the firm announced. Del-Cerro will serve as a partner in the International Trade and Government Contracts group, advising clients on aspects of export compliance including export controls, sanctions and Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters. At the State Department, del-Cerro worked to amend and interpret the International Traffic in Arms Regulations in promoting bilateral defense trade working groups' priorities, the firm said.

J. Philip Ludvigson, a former Treasury Department official, has joined King & Spalding as a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based International Trade practice, the firm announced. Serving at Treasury from 2019 to 2022, Ludvigson worked in the Office of Investment Security -- the office that chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. -- as the acting deputy assistant secretary and was the founding director for monitoring and enforcement. Prior to his time at Treasury, Ludvigson served as the acting director of foreign investment risk management at the Department of Homeland Security, guiding the agency's CFIUS and Team Telecom participation, the firm said. Ludvigson's practice will center on advising clients on CFIUS jurisdiction and risk-related concerns, King & Spalding said.

Jason Rhoades, formerly KPMG senior manager-trade and customs services, joined Intel as director of global sanctions, Rhoades announced this week. Rhoades, a former sanctions compliance officer at the Treasury Department, said he will work as part of Intel’s export controls and sanctions team.

Guillermo Christensen, former office managing partner at Ice Miller, has joined K&L Gates as a partner in the antitrust, competition and trade regulation practice, the firm announced. Christensen's practice centers on advising clients on matters involving economic sanctions, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and export controls. In the past, Christensen has also represented clients in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases, OFAC investigations and voluntary disclosures. Before becoming a lawyer, Christensen worked for the CIA for 15 years in various assignments, including in interagency roles with the Defense and State departments.

Brian Fleming, a former official in the National Security Division at DOJ, has joined Steptoe & Johnson as a partner in the International Trade and Regulatory Compliance Group, the firm announced. Fleming most recently worked as a member at Miller & Chevalier Chartered, advising clients on economic sanctions, export controls and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States proceedings.

The Bureau of Industry and Security named Greg Capella as its new deputy undersecretary, an agency spokesperson said this week. Capella, who officially started July 18, previously served as acting director of the Commerce Department’s ​​National Technical Information Service. Capella replaced Jeremy Pelter, who is now acting chief financial officer and assistant secretary of commerce for administration.