John Foote, former chief of Kelley Drye's customs practice, has joined Sidley as a partner in the global arbitration, trade and advocacy practice, the firm announced. Foote, who worked at Kelley Drye since 2020, represents clients on various customs matters at both the administrative and judicial levels, including classification, valuation, country of origin, drawback, tariff exclusions, withhold release orders and antidumping/countervailing duty evasion issues, Sidley said. Prior to joining Kelley Drye, Foote worked as an associate and partner at Baker McKenzie for six years.

Robert Palmer, former senior international trade compliance analyst at the Commerce Department, has joined boutique trade law firm Lighthill as a trade adviser, the firm announced on LinkedIn. Palmer joined Commerce in 2008, where he led antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations across various products and countries. Palmer's LinkedIn profile says he retired from Commerce in April.

Aidan Curran, deputy communications director for the Democratic staff of the House Select Committee on China, said in an email Sept. 26 that he left the panel and is now communications director for Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the committee.

Serena Tang, who enforces the Shipping Act as a trial attorney at the Federal Maritime Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance, said in a case filing Sept. 29 that she is resigning from the FMC effective Oct. 3. Tang has been with the commission for four years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Sara Schuman, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's former senior trade representative for China, has joined Beacon Global Strategies to lead its new international trade practice. Schuman, who left government in 2023, was responsible for trade negotiations with China and coordinating "economic security initiatives" with allies, the firm said.

George Bogden, formerly executive director of CBP’s Office of Trade Relations, is joining government relations firm Continental Strategy as senior counsel for trade and tariff matters, the firm said in a press release.

Rick Switzer was approved as the deputy U.S. trade representative for Asia, textiles, investment, services and intellectual property as part of a bloc of nominees approved en masse by the Senate Sept. 18. Switzer spent most of his career in the Foreign Service at the State Department.

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.

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.

Arun Venkataraman, the former assistant secretary of commerce for global markets, has joined Covington & Burling as a partner in the international trade practice, the firm announced. While at Commerce 2022-25, Venkataraman led efforts to "expand commercial opportunities for U.S. firms overseas and foreign firms in the United States," Covington said. In addition to his role as assistant secretary, Venkataraman served as director general of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the International Trade Administration. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, he worked at Visa as the senior director for global government engagement and at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as director for India.