Nicole Bivens Collinson, who leads the lobbying arm of the Sandler Travis law firm, is the new legislative counsel for the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, the firm said. Collinson will take over from the association's previous Washington counsel, Whitmer and Worrall, which earned around $30,000 per quarter from lobbying on behalf of the NCBFAA, according to the two most recent quarterly disclosures filed this year. The NCBFAA recently named Sandler Travis lawyer Lenny Feldman the group's general counsel, adding to his ongoing role as customs counsel (see 2110010053).

Ronald Baumgarten, former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative in the Office of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, has rejoined BakerHostetler as of counsel on the International Trade and National Security team, the firm announced. Baumgarten left BakerHostetler in 2007 to join the USTR as assistant general counsel. He later served as senior director in the Office of Agricultural Affairs before becoming deputy assistant USTR.

Marianne Rowden, the former CEO at the American Association of Exporters and Importers, is now CEO of the E-Merchants Trade Council, a new trade group focused on micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) e-commerce issues. Asked about the group's membership, Rowden said that “EMTC is a brand new association so we are building our membership with a number of industry stalwarts as initial members, who will be public shortly.” Rowden helped start the group “because no organization represents the MSME e-seller,” she said. “Our goal is to educate MSMEs on basic trade issues to run their business, but also advocate for simplifying cross-border transactions.”

The White House has sent to the Senate the nomination of Elaine Trevino to be chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (see 2109140047).

P. Lee Smith, former acting assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, has joined Baker Donelson as of counsel and will lead the firm's Washington, D.C.-based International Trade and National Security practice, it announced.

Christine Kang has joined Hughes Hubbard as a partner, bolstering the New York office's practice focused on investigations, anti-corruption, sanctions and international arbitration, the firm announced. Kang previously spent 10 years at Jun He Law Offices in Beijing, where she represented Chinese state-owned enterprises and multinational companies doing business in China. Kang also has regularly represented Chinese companies in multilateral development bank reviews of potential sanctionable practices, the firm said.

Brian Feito has been named managing editor at Warren Communications News' International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. Feito succeeds Timothy Warren, who moves to executive managing editor of WCN's Communications Daily.

Brian Egan joined Skadden Arps as a partner in its Council on Foreign Investment in the U.S., National Security and International Trade Group, the firm announced. Egan, who joins the firm from Steptoe & Johnson, formerly served as the senior-most lawyer at the State Department and the White House's National Security Council. At Skadden, Egan will advise on “all aspects of export controls,” and will counsel clients on CFIUS reviews and foreign investment matters, the firm said.

Jonathan Wakely was promoted to partner in Covington & Burling's practice on foreign investment and national security issues, with a focus on transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., the firm said. Wakely regularly represents clients before CFIUS and other national security-related matters, the firm said.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America has brought on Lenny Feldman as its general counsel and Ashley Craig as its transportation and logistics counsel, it announced in an email. Feldman is a senior member of Sandler Travis who serves on the firm's operating committee; Craig is a partner at Venable working as co-chair of his firm's International Trade Group.