Jane Dempsey, former attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the International Trade Commission, has joined Polsinelli as counsel in the trade remedies practice, the firm said. At the ITC, Dempsey served as lead counsel in trade remedies litigation before the Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Brandon Kennedy, a former DOJ trial attorney in the international trade field office, has joined Grant Herrmann as a senior associate focusing on commercial litigation, he announced on LinkedIn. Kennedy told Trade Law Daily that he was already eyeing a move to the private sector but that the "daily chaos of the new administration" accelerated the move. He joined DOJ in 2020 as a trial attorney focused on customs-related litigation.
Brandon Kennedy, a trial attorney in DOJ's international trade field office, has resigned from the agency, Kennedy confirmed to Trade Law Daily. He will be joining a law firm focusing on commercial litigation unrelated to international trade. Kennedy joined DOJ in 2020 as a trial attorney, focusing on customs-related litigation.
Attorneys Kristen Smith and Sarah Yuskaitis announced March 3 the opening of new boutique international trade law firm Smith & Yuskaitis PLLC. The firm, based in Washington, D.C., is offering its services to importers, exporters and governments.
David Newman, the DOJ’s second-highest-ranking national security official under the Biden administration, has joined Morrison Foerster to advise on sanctions issues, export control enforcement, reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., and more. Newman previously served as the principal deputy assistant attorney general for DOJ’s National Security Division, where he oversaw federal prosecutors working on cases related to sanctions breaches, export control evasion and other national security issues.
Raj Parekh, a DOJ lawyer who was named the Bureau of Industry and Security’s first chief of corporate enforcement in September (see 2409120007), is leaving BIS next week to join the law firm Sparacino, he announced on LinkedIn. Parekh said his departure from government is “entirely unrelated to current events,” adding that his one-year detail as the BIS corporate enforcement chief “would have continued if it were not for this unique opportunity in the private sector.”
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).