Sanctions attorney Alexis Early has joined BCLP as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Early's practice centers on economic sanctions, export controls, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and "other emerging areas of international trade law," it said.

Michael Granston, former deputy assistant attorney general for the Commercial Litigation Branch in DOJ's Civil Division, has rejoined Covington as a partner in the False Claims Act investigations and litigation practice group, the firm announced. Granston worked at DOJ for nearly 30 years, serving as deputy assistant attorney general since 2019, where he managed litigation and enforcement of FCA, international trade and intellectual property matters. Before going to DOJ, he was an associate in Covington’s litigation and white collar practice groups.

Anne Fisher, a former official with the Bureau of Industry and Security's chief counsel office, has joined Hogan Lovells' international trade and investment practice, the firm said. Fisher, who left BIS in July after first joining in October 2022, will advise on U.S. export control laws, economic sanctions, customs, foreign investment and other issues. She was at Hogan Lovells before going to BIS.

Stephanie Connor left her position as assistant director of the Office of Foreign Asset Control's Policy Division to join Holland & Knight's international trade group. Connor, who first joined OFAC in 2022 as an assistant chief counsel, will advise on OFAC sanctions issues, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. regulations, and more.

Veronica Dragalin, former assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California and former chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office for Moldova, has joined Jones Day's investigations and white collar defense practice, the firm announced. Dragalin has worked on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters, among other white collar issues.

Jennifer Kennedy Gellie, former chief of DOJ's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the National Security Division, has joined Pillsbury's international trade group. Gellie left DOJ in January after nearly a decade with the agency, where she worked on cases involving export controls, sanctions, corporate crime and other similar issues. Pillsbury said she will help clients "navigate enforcement and compliance for sanctions, export-control, Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and trade matters."

Fariha Kabir, a former international trade litigation attorney at CBP, has left the agency to join Faegre Drinker as an associate, she announced on LinkedIn. Kabir had worked at CBP since 2021, helping with the litigation of customs matters before the Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, including cases on tariff classification and value, the exclusion or detention of import entries, and CBP regulations.

Alan Turley, the Commerce Department's minister-counselor for commercial affairs stationed at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo, is retiring from the department in September, he announced on LinkedIn. Turley has served in that position since 2021 after working as Commerce's deputy assistant secretary for China and Mongolia during 2016-21.

Ian Richardson, who was named the first chief counsel for corporate enforcement at DOJ’s National Security Division in 2023 (see 2309120017), left the government this month to join Paul Weiss as a lawyer working on national security issues, he announced on LinkedIn. Richardson was most recently chief counsel of DOJ’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Rachel Alpert has left her role as chief counsel for the Office of Foreign Assets Control, she announced on LinkedIn. She was named to the position in October 2023 (see 2310250061).