The chief trade counsel for the Democratic majority on the Senate Finance Committee, and Joe Biden's former head of economic and domestic policy when he was vice president have been nominated as deputy U.S. trade representatives. Sarah Bianchi, who works at Evercore ISI, and senate staffer Jayme White were named by the White House on April 16. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., White's boss, called both “top-notch” choices, adding, “I am excited to see these nominations move forward as soon as possible.”

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois Shoba Pillay joined Jenner & Block's Chicago office, the firm announced in an April 13 press release. Pillay specializes in fraud, cybercrime, data privacy, export control and sanctions, trade secrets and intellectual property cases, and will bring that experience to both the investigations, compliance and defense practice and data privacy and cybersecurity practice, where she will be a partner.

Rufus Yerxa, the leader of the National Foreign Trade Council, will be retiring in September, he told us. Yerxa, who will be 70 at the time of his exit, does plan to continue consulting or do other part-time work. He said he expects the NFTC board to have selected a replacement by its July meeting.

Lam Research Corp. added a semiconductor industry official and a former Bureau of Industry and Security official to its government affairs team, according to Rich Ashooh, the company's vice president of global government affairs. Lam hired Chantal Lakatos de Alcantara, BIS’s former director of nonproliferation policy, who will serve as its senior director for regulatory affairs, Ashooh said in an April 5 LinkedIn post. The company also hired Taylor Sholler, a former government affairs director with Applied Materials, who will serve as Lam’s senior director for legislative affairs. Ashooh left his senior role at BIS last year (see 2007210016).

Bloomberg News is reporting that Sarah Bianchi, a senior managing director at Evercore ISI International, is being considered for deputy U.S. trade representative, according to anonymous sources. Bianchi, who once served as director of policy for Vice President Joe Biden, is still being vetted, the sources said. The story did not say which deputy job Bianchi would be put in, but a commissioner for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission tweeted that she would be in charge of China.

Former World Trade Organization Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff will join the Peterson Institute for International Economics as a distinguished visiting fellow April 15. “Alan Wolff is one of the world's greatest practitioners of international trade law, applying his expertise and broad vision in private and public service to building the case for a strong, open rules-based multilateral trading system,” PIIE President Adam Posen said April 1. “Alan has been a long-time advisor to and constructive critic of the Institute's research and policy proposals in international trade, and we look forward to having him be part of our collegial give-and-take starting later this month.” Wolff will focus on WTO reforms, China's role in trade and how countries can become more prosperous through trading, Posen said.

Baker McKenzie has promoted partner Sunny Mann to global chair of the firm's International Commercial & Trade Practice Group, effective July 1, it announced in a March 23 press release. Mann, currently in the firm's London office, has been with Baker McKenzie for 21 years and has worked on a host of international trade issues, including compliance with sanctions, export controls and foreign investment rules.

Tyler McGaughey, former Treasury Department deputy assistant secretary for investment security, is joining Winston & Strawn's Washington office, the firm announced March 18. McGaughey will advise clients on Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters.

Daniel Ikenson, who spent 20 years at Cato Institute advocating for free trade, has joined research firm ndp analytics as director of policy research.

Brenda Smith, CBP executive assistant commissioner-trade, will retire at the end of the month, Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said March 17 at the start of a Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee meeting. Also retiring soon is Steven Graham, international trade liaison in the Office of Trade Relations, COAC member Lenny Feldman said during the meeting.