Dominic Bianchi, former general counsel of the International Trade Commission, has joined Polsinelli as a shareholder in the firm's Section 337 litigation and trade remedies practice, the firm announced. Bianchi spent 24 years at ITC, serving as general counsel since 2013.
Thea Kendler, former assistant secretary for export administration at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, and Aiysha Hussain, Kendler's senior policy adviser, have joined Mayer Brown as partners in the international trade, national security and white-collar defense practices, the firm announced. Kendler served at BIS for three years, joining the agency from DOJ, where she worked as a trial attorney in the national security division. Hussain worked at Commerce since 2020, serving as senior counsel then senior policy adviser for export administration.
Sean Carlesimo, a former State Department attorney-adviser, joined Miles & Stockbridge as a lawyer focusing on sanctions, export controls, foreign investment reviews and other international trade topics. Carlesimo left the State Department in March.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative reappointed Devin Sikes, counsel for Akin Gump, to the U.S. roster for antidumping and countervailing duty disputes stemming from USMCA Chapter 10, the firm announced. The term is for the 2025-26 roster of individuals who may serve as panelists to settle binational disputes.
Laura Black, former director of policy and international relations for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., has joined White & Case as partner in the global trade and foreign direct investment reviews practice, the firm announced. Black joins from Akin Gump, where she worked as senior counsel since 2022. Black worked at CFIUS from 2018 to 2022.
Julia Bonestroo Banegas, former attorney at Husch Blackwell, joined Jones Walker as special counsel in the maritime practice group and member of the maritime regulatory team, the firm announced. Banegas' practice will center on advising clients on "federal and state maritime regulations" and "establishing compliance programs that support uninterrupted trade and efficient operations."
Ken Wainstein, a former U.S. national security prosecutor and intelligence official, has joined Mayer Brown as a lawyer advising on export controls, sanctions, foreign direct investment and other national security enforcement issues. Wainstein was most recently the DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis.
Darshak Dholakia, a former partner at Dechert, has joined McDermott Will as a partner in the regulatory practice group in Washington, D.C., the firm announced. Dholakia's practice centers on economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption laws and export controls, the firm said.
International trade attorney E.J. Thomas has rejoined Morris Manning as a senior associate, the firm announced. Thomas previously worked at the firm from 2014 to 2019, joining first as a paralegal and then rising to international trade associate. Thomas later joined Covington & Burling as an associate in 2023 and now returns to Morris Manning's international trade practice.
Trade and patent attorney James Jeffries has rejoined Kutak Rock as an attorney in the intellectual property and corporate practice group, the firm announced. Jeffries worked as chief legal officer at Kuat Innovations from 2021 to 2025 after initially working for Kutak Rock as an attorney and partner from 2018 to 2021. At Kutak, Jeffries will work on trademark and patent matters, along with customs and international trade issues, including tariff exposure mitigation and vendor relationship structuring.