Abigale Belcrest, a former deputy chief of staff at the Bureau of Industry and Security, has joined the Commerce Department’s National Semiconductor Technology Center as a senior policy adviser and project manager, according to their LinkedIn page. Belcrest left BIS in May before temporarily joining the U.S. Economic Development Administration as a policy adviser.

Sandler Travis hired two trade lawyers and an import compliance specialist to expand its trade service offerings, the law firm announced Aug. 23. Lawyer William Marshall will focus on import and supply chain issues while Narges Kahvazadeh will provide legal counsel on export controls and sanctions. Regina Walton, a licensed customs broker, joined the firm as an auditor with a focus on import compliance matters.

Simon Courtman, a former commodity jurisdiction analyst with the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, has joined General Dynamics as an international trade and compliance manager, he announced on LinkedIn this week. Courtman left DDTC in 2020 and has since worked as a compliance official for several companies, including KPMG and ST Engineering.

Atsushi Kono, a former Akin Gump law clerk and lawyer with Japanese firm Nishimura & Asahi, was named a deputy director of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, he announced Aug. 21 on LinkedIn. He said he is joining the International Economic Affairs Department within the ministry’s Trade Policy Bureau, where he will help the Japanese government work on international trade-related legal and policy issues.

Marissa Cloutier, chief of the compliance and civil enforcement division of the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, is starting a temporary assignment with the Air Force, she announced on LinkedIn. Cloutier said she will work as an Air Force country director for foreign military sales for six months.

Aydin Akgun, a former licensing officer and chief in the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s licensing division, has joined Ferrari & Associates as director of licensing and compliance, the law firm announced this week. Akgun, who worked at OFAC for more than 20 years, will help advise clients on various OFAC licensing issues, the firm said.

Fred Helmstetter, director of global trade compliance at L3Harris Technologies, is joining global satellite communications company Iridium as its export compliance director, he announced on LinkedIn. Helmstetter had been at L3Harris since 2017, where he led the export compliance investigation and disclosure process and internal monitoring program.

Nigel Cory, former associate director of trade policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, has joined Crowell & Moring as a director, the firm announced. Cory will aid attorneys in the firm's international trade practices and other areas, the firm said.

Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department’s former undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, has officially left the agency to join Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign as a senior policy adviser, according to Nelson’s LinkedIn page. Nelson, who helped oversee U.S. sanctions policy, was reported last month to be making the move (see 2408020038). He was replaced by Brad Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, on an acting basis.

Lorand Laskai, former senior adviser to the undersecretary of the Bureau of Industry and Security, has joined the National Security Council as the new China director, he announced Aug. 11 on LinkedIn. Laskai has been at BIS since July 2023. An NSC spokesperson didn’t respond to a request seeking more information about his new role.