Andrew Margolis, a 32-year official at the Federal Maritime Commission, joined Sandler Travis, the firm announced. Margolis brings an expertise in "dispute resolution and adjudication of complaints under the Shipping Act pertaining to ocean freight overcharges and unfair practices," it said. Margolis will be based in Sandler Travis' Miami office.

International trade lawyer Michelle Li was elected a partner at Thompson Hine, in its Washington office, the firm announced. Li works on a host of trade issues, including trade enforcement and anti-circumvention matters before CBP, the firm said.

Jeffrey Tafel, the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Western Michigan, will become president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones as of Feb. 1, the trade group said on Dec. 28.

Meredith DeMent has rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the North America International Commercial Practice Group, based in Washington, D.C., the firm announced. Returning from Sidley Austin, DeMent will grow her practice in which she will counsel companies on "all aspects of US customs and related trade laws, including current and rapidly evolving trade policy, compliance and duty mitigation strategies," the firm said. DeMent previously was an associate at Baker McKenzie from 2013 to 2019.

The Consumer Technology Association hired Ed Brzytwa, previously director of international trade at the American Chemistry Council, as vice president of international trade, the trade group said.

Sidley Austin promoted Shawn Higgins to partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Higgins' practice includes various trade remedy matters, antidumping and countervailing duty investigations at the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission, and international trade compliance.

Lori Wallach, a leader of trade skeptics in her work for 30 years at Public Citizen, will join the American Economic Liberties Project's new ReThink Trade campaign as director as of Jan. 1, the group said. Wallach said the group is fighting against digital trade agreements they see as reinforcing Big Tech monopolies, and will be working to fix "the IP monopolies Big Pharma packed into 'free trade' agreements that are now undermining the world’s COVID response."

Ilissa Shefferman is now CBP's forced labor division branch chief-Investigations East and Adam Sulewski is branch chief-Investigations West, the agency said in an updated list of contacts. The division previously had only one branch focused on investigations (see 2109290023)

Kecia Reynolds, an intellectual property lawyer who previously worked at the International Trade Commission, joined Paul Hastings as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced. Reynolds most recently worked at Pillsbury Winthrop. Before private practice, Reynolds served as a senior investigative staff attorney at the ITC for the Office of Unfair Import Investigations, the firm said.

Eric Choy, deputy assistant director of CBP's Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Directorate, is now the acting director, a CBP spokesperson said. The previous director, Ana Hinojosa, recently retired (see 2111010041).