Thomas Allen, former global lead for international disputes at Kilpatrick Townsend, has joined K&L Gates as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Allen joins the energy, infrastructure and resources practice, where he will focus on international disputes in the "the renewable, nuclear, and oil and gas sectors," the firm said.
Alexandra Hess, a former official at CBP, has rejoined Cassidy Levy as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced on LinkedIn. At CBP, Hess served as branch chief for entry process and duty refunds in the Office of Regulations & Rulings, where she "issued rulings and advice" on "the entry process, duty drawback, de minimis, reconciliation, bonding, antidumping and countervailing duties, temporary importation under bond, foreign trade zones, right to make entry, broker compliance and management, and quota," the firm said.
John Eisenberg, former legal adviser to the National Security Council who served during the first Trump administration, is President Donald Trump's pick to lead DOJ’s National Security Division, DOJ announced last week. Eisenberg also previously held several roles within DOJ, including in the office of the deputy attorney general. If confirmed, Eisenberg will oversee the division that prosecutes various export control, sanctions, foreign investment and other national security-related violations.
Two Commerce Department attorneys, Chris Kimura and Hendricks Valenzuela, have left Commerce in recent days, they both confirmed to Trade Law Daily. Kimura left to join Blank Rome as an associate, according to his LinkedIn page. The pair join former Commerce attorney Savannah Maxwell, who also is leaving the agency to join the private sector (see 2502100007).
Karalyn Mildorf, a former partner at White & Case, has joined Clifford Chance to work on international trade and national security issues, the firm announced. Mildorf's practice centers on Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters, compliance with the U.S. outbound investment security program, and more, the firm said.
Ashley Akers, former senior trial counsel at DOJ, has joined Holland & Knight as senior counsel, Akers announced on LinkedIn. Akers served at DOJ for over seven years, joining initially as a trial attorney then moving to senior trial counsel in 2024. At DOJ, Akers worked on a number of trade remedies cases at the Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Abby Kohlman, former DOJ prosecutor in the fraud section, has rejoined Akin Gump as senior counsel in the white collar defense and government investigations practice, the firm announced. At DOJ, Kohlman also served as special counsel for the Office of Legislative Affairs. Kohlman's practice will focus on advising clients on congressional investigations and other government inquiries, including those related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Julie Edelstein, the former acting principal deputy chief of DOJ's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, has joined the Wiggin and Dana law firm as a partner focused on national security, export controls and white-collar issues. Edelstein, who left DOJ last month, served as coordinator of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a joint group created by DOJ, the Commerce Department and other agencies to pool resources toward investigations of trade violations involving critical technologies (see 2411250027 and 2302160019).
Savannah Maxwell, an international trade attorney at the Commerce Department, will depart the agency to join Mowry & Grimson as an associate, she told Trade Law Daily. Maxwell joined Commerce's Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance in 2019 as a staff attorney. She was promoted to senior attorney last year (see 2403010020).
Paul Rosen, former assistant secretary for investment security at the Treasury Department, has joined Latham & Watkins as a partner in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and national security practice, the firm announced. At Treasury, Rosen oversaw CFIUS and its investment screening and enforcement activities.