Former CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner for Trade Brenda Smith recently joined Expeditors as global director of government outreach, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Joe Walker, former head of Squire Patton's white collar practice, joined the white collar team at Orrick as a partner, the firm announced. Walker has expertise on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters and cases before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Orrick said. Walker also served as a prosecutor in the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Fraud Section, where he led the first joint FCPA enforcement action between the SEC and DOJ. He has represented “major financial institutions in enforcement matters” and was “a DOJ- and SEC-appointed FCPA compliance monitor for Weatherford International as well as counsel to the monitor in the first-ever FCPA monitorship by an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation,” the firm said.

International Trade Commission investigative attorney Monica Bhattacharyya will now serve as an administrative law judge, the commission announced Sept. 13. As an ALJ, Bhattacharyya will “manage an active litigation docket, preside over evidentiary hearings, and make initial determinations in the Commission’s investigations involving unfair practices in import trade under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930,” the ITC said. Bhattacharyya joined the ITC in 2012 as an investigative attorney in the Office of Unfair Import Investigations. She previously was a partner at Kasowitz Benson, working in the firm's intellectual property group in its New York office.

Richard Sofield has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in its National Security and International Trade practice in Washington, the firm said. Sofield joins from Wiley Rein, where he led the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. practice group, focusing on cross-border investment and national security matters, the firm said. For 24 years before joining Wiley Rein, Sofield worked as a government attorney, including as director of the foreign investment review staff for the National Security Division at the Department of Justice. Overseeing DOJ's participation in CFIUS, Sofield reviewed more than 1,000 acquisitions for national security purposes, the firm said.

Squire Patton brought on new partners for its Singapore and Perth, Australia, offices, the firm said. Ivan Chia joined Squire Patton's Corporate Practice and Commodities and Shipping Industry Group in Singapore. He previously served as a partner at HFW and Watson Farley, specializing in international energy, renewables and infrastructure. Hazel Brewer joined the firm's Commodities and Shipping Industry Group in Perth, bringing more than 30 years' experience in “shipping, offshore, international trade and marine insurance,” the firm said. She also previously worked at HFW.

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade tapped McDermott Will, along with its consortium partners TLT and Borden Ladner, to advise on three post-Brexit trade agreements, the U.K.-based law firm said. The three agreements include the U.K.'s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and two bilateral free trade agreements with Canada and Mexico. The CPTPP is an 11-party trade pact that includes Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. “Trade negotiations of this size are significant, given the potential impact they will have on the future economic opportunities for the United Kingdom and its position relative to key partner nations around the globe,” Joanne Osendarp, co-head of McDermott’s International Trade group, said. “Our team is one of the strongest in the world when it comes to trade negotiations and we look forward to bringing those skills to bear as the UK government navigates this complex global trade landscape.”

Russell Semmel, former Arent Fox attorney, joined international law firm Bryan Cave's New York office as counsel in the International Trade Practice, the firm announced Aug. 30. With more than a decade of experience, Semmel will continue to advise importers on issues of “tariff classification and valuation; free trade agreements and preference programs; country of origin and marking; drawback; seizures and forfeitures; civil customs penalties; antidumping and countervailing duties; and other laws and regulations enforced by" CBP, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, Bryan Cave said.

Fenwick & West will open an office in Washington, D.C., adding two partners for the new office, the firm announced on Aug. 31. Thomas Ensign and Melissa Duffy will both serve as partners in Fenwick's Antitrust and Trade Regulation practice. Duffy, who comes from Dechert, "advises on export controls, sanctions, trade policy, programs under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), regulation of emerging technologies, digital trade, CFIUS and national security issues involving U.S. agencies," Fenwick said. Ensign is an antitrust adviser on issues including intellectual property agreements, distribution arrangements and joint ventures. Fenwick, which says it concentrates on serving the technology and life sciences industries, has offices in California, New York City, Seattle and Shanghai.

Chris Pelham, former assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California, joined Norton Rose as a partner in the global investigations team at its Los Angeles office, the firm announced earlier this month. Pelham joins from Jones Day, where he most recently served as counsel in Shanghai, China. He is the sixth U.S. lateral partner to join the global investigations team and will focus on cases of money laundering, healthcare fraud, embezzlement allegations, conflicts of interest, and commercial and public bribery, the firm said.

Juan Moreno will serve as Sandler Travis' director of trade compliance based in California, the firm announced in an email. Moreno most recently held the same position at Zisser Customs Law Group, based in San Diego, for 14 years and has been working in international trade since 1994. He advises traders in the U.S. and Mexico, and has been especially active on USMCA compliance, the firm's press release said.