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.”

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 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.

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.

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.

Daniel Kahn, acting deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, is rejoining Davis Polk's Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the White Collar Defense & Investigations practice, the firm announced. Kahn will work on issues relating to criminal and regulatory investigations, along with civil and criminal trials. At DOJ, Kahn most recently supervised the Fraud Section and Appellate Section. Before that, Kahn was acting chief of the Fraud Section and chief of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit, where he oversaw involved FCPA and sanctions violations, commodities and securities fraud and money laundering, among other things, Davis Polk said.

Jason Kenner, a 14-year Department of Justice trial attorney, joined Sandler Travis to head the firm's litigation practice, the firm announced Sept. 27. At DOJ, Kenner most recently was senior trial counsel handling federal trial and appellate international trade litigation. He worked in DOJ's Civil Division, International Trade Field Office and the Trade Fraud Task Force, where he was responsible for formulating and implementing litigation strategies while representing CBP, the Commerce Department and other trade-related agencies, Sandler Travis said.