Sandler Travis hired two trade lawyers and an import compliance specialist to expand its trade service offerings, the law firm announced Aug. 23. Lawyer William Marshall will focus on import and supply chain issues while Narges Kahvazadeh will provide legal counsel on export controls and sanctions. Regina Walton, a licensed customs broker, joined the firm as an auditor with a focus on import compliance matters.

Shawn Harwood, a former DHS official who worked on the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, has joined Squire Patton as an international trade investigations specialist, he announced this week on LinkedIn. Harwood left DHS in 2023 and most recently worked as an adviser on forced labor remediation and supply chain due diligence with consulting firm LRQA.

Nigel Cory, former associate director of trade policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, has joined Crowell & Moring as a director, the firm announced. Cory will aid attorneys in the firm's international trade practices and other areas, the firm said.

USDA this month announced its roster of 55 industry officials who will serve across seven agricultural trade advisory committees (ATAC) until 2028. The groups help advise both USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on trade policy or provide technical advice and guidance “from the perspective of their specific product sectors,” the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in a press release. The groups include the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee as well as committees focusing on animals and animal products; fruits and vegetables; grains and seeds; processed foods; sweeteners and sweetener products; and tobacco, cotton, peanuts and hemp.

Alba Wheels Up announced Luis Eraña is its new CEO on July 30. Eraña, previously CEO of ProTrans, replaces Damien Stile, who will now be co-chairman of the customs broker and freight forwarder.

President Joe Biden plans to nominate Carl Bentzel and Louis Sola to continue serving on the Federal Maritime Commission, the White House announced July 11. Both have been FMC members since 2019. Commissioners serve five-year terms.

Danielle Fumagalli was named acting assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan, Korea, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Affairs, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a news release July 3. Fumagalli had been deputy assistant USTR in the same office, and had helped negotiate the U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Agreement.

The new Supply Chain and Resilience Center at the DHS has a new acting executive director, Dan Price. Price is a career staffer who has spent years in the agency's Office of Policy and Plans.

Homeland Security Investigations is promoting New York HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan Arvelo to be assistant director of global trade, replacing James Mancuso, who retired. The assistant director of global trade at HSI is responsible for combating the theft of U.S. intellectual property around the world. The acting director of HSI's trade division, Mike Ball, said during the June 26 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee meeting that Arvelo will take over in the fall.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance hired Pete Mehravari as its director of policy and legal affairs. He came to IIPA from leading the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Global Intellectual Property Academy, and previously worked as an intellectual property attaché at embassies in the Middle East and North Africa. Kevin Rosenbaum, IIPA’s executive director, said, “Pete has been a trusted intellectual property champion with the U.S. government for over a decade, and I am thrilled he is now bringing his international IP policy experience, enthusiasm, and results-based advocacy to IIPA and its members. I look forward to working with him to improve international copyright protection and enforcement and otherwise open foreign markets for the U.S. creative industries.”