Retired Army Gen. Stephen Lyons, who ran the U.S. Transportation Command when he was in the military, has been named the new port and supply chain envoy to the administration's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. He replaces John Porcari.

Venable has hired Richard DiNucci, a long-time CBP official who most recently was director of field operations in San Francisco, as a senior policy adviser in its international trade group, the law firm said. He will be based in Washington.

President Joe Biden will nominate Alexis Taylor, director of Oregon’s Department of Agriculture, to be USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, the White House said May 13. Taylor previously oversaw USDA’s Farm Service and Foreign Agricultural Service agencies, where she worked to “open new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agricultural products in the marketplace,” the White House said. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praised the nomination, saying it builds on USDA's commitment to "enhance export opportunities for American farmers and producers and increase global food security."

Heather Hurlburt will be the new chief of staff for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. She comes from New America, a left-of-center think tank, where she studied the intersection of political polarization and foreign policy. She replaces Ginna Lance, who was interim chief of staff.

Peter Quinter, former customs and international trade attorney at GrayRobinson, joined Gunster as the leader of its Customs and International Trade Law Group, Quinter said in a post on his LinkedIn account. Quinter advises on issues involving investigations by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Before entering private practice, Quinter served as counsel at the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the U.S. Customs Service.

John Beahn, former head of Shearman & Sterling's Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and foreign direct investment practice, has joined Milbank as a partner, the firm announced in an email. Beahn's work will center on CFIUS matters and FDI proceedings as well as national security issues, including sanctions and arms controls, the firm said.

Anthony Rapa, a former partner at Kirkland & Ellis, joined Blank Rome as a partner in its National Security practice, the firm announced. Blank Rome said Rapa will work on "sanctions and export control-related matters in cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, government investigations, and regulatory matters." Such issues under Rapa's portfolio include regulations administered under the Export Administration Regulations, the Bureau of Industry and Security and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Elizabeth Boison, previously with DOJ's Bank Integrity Unit and National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the Global Regulatory and Intellectual Property, Media and Technology practice group, the firm announced. During her time in government, Boison also worked with the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, where she helped craft guidance on the regulatory enforcement of financial crimes, the firm said. At DOJ, Boison focused on sanctions, asset forfeiture, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other fraud-involved proceedings.

Grace Hill, former assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, has joined Wilkinson Stekloff as a partner, the firm announced. At EDVA, Hill prosecuted an array of white collar crime cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, investment fraud, bribery and public corruption, the firm said.

Brendan McCommas, former attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has joined Husch Blackwell as senior counsel in the Intellectual Property practice and Technology, Manufacturing and Transportation industry group, the firm announced. At USPTO, his positions included chief of staff and senior adviser. McCommas will focus on IP disputes concerning "patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing and trade secrets," the firm said.