Former deputy U.S. trade representative C.J. Mahoney joined Microsoft as deputy general counsel for U.S. international trade and Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing service, according to Mahoney's LinkedIn page. Mahoney served as deputy USTR for two years from 2018 to 2020 and was previously a partner at Williams & Connolly.
International trade lawyer Matthew Kanna is joining Greenberg Traurig as shareholder in the firm's international trade wing of its Washington, D.C. office. Kanna most recently ran his own firm but previously was a lawyer at Arent Fox with its international trade group and regularly practices in the areas of trade remedy and customs proceedings. According to a Feb. 26 press release, Kanna also has experience disrupting competitors' supply chains by combining government agency actions.
Friederike Gorgens, previously with Arent Fox, joined Greenberg Traurig as of counsel in the firm's international trade practice. At Arent Fox, Gorgens was listed as one of the litigators in the case challenging lists 3 and 4A of the Section 301 China tariffs. Arent Fox is one of the largest law firms involved in the litigation, representing more than 50 of the lawsuits against the tariffs.
Andrea Delisi, former assistant chief counsel in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, joined Morrison & Foerster in its National Security and Global Risk + Crisis Management groups, the firm announced Feb. 10. She previously advised OFAC on legal issues including the office's economic sanctions programs involving Venezuela, Syria, Iran, human rights, corruption and terrorism.
CBP Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Trade Cynthia Whittenburg retired at the end of January, an agency spokesman said. CBP recently started seeking applicants for the position.
The White House announced its withdrawals of some nominations left over from the Trump administration. Those include the Jan. 3 nomination of Joseph Barloon, former general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, for a judge's seat on the Court of International Trade. He was first nominated in October 2020, then renominated because all nominations in front of the Senate expired with the seating of the new Congress in January. Also withdrawn was the Jan. 6 nomination of William Kimmitt, a former counselor to the USTR, to fill a vacancy on the International Trade Commission. He was first nominated in December 2020.
Firearms trade expert Michael Andersen is the new director of regulatory services for Orchid, a federal firearms license business and compliance software company. Andersen will lead Orchid's international trade practice related to import/export licensing, alcohol, tobacco and firearms compliance, and firearms e-commerce regulations, the company said in a news release. Previously, Andersen was the director of compliance at Brownells, working on federal firearms compliance and international trade programs.
Todd Owen, who was executive assistant commissioner-CBP Office of Field Operations until last year (see 2008070012), recently joined Diaz Trade Law as senior trade adviser, Jennifer Diaz said by email.
In the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is being added to the Finance Committee, the Senate majority leader announced Feb. 2. In the House, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., are joining the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee chairman announced Feb. 2. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who has been a very active member of the Trade Subcommittee, will now head the Oversight Subcommittee. Republicans added three members to the Ways and Means Committee to replace two members who retired, and to reflect their larger numbers in the House: Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.; Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa.; and Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP promoted the head of its international trade practice Alfredo Fernández to partner in the Hartford, Conn. office, the firm announced via a press release on Jan. 25. Fernández previously worked as an associate at the firm and as an aerospace engineer before his career in law began in 2012.