Freshfields hires Julie Elmer from DOJ Antitrust Division’s Technology and Financial Services Section as partner, global antitrust litigation practice, working on tech, telecom and other issues ... FaceBank Group adds Gina DiGioia Sheldon, ex-Fiizy, to newly created role of general counsel; she's also corporate secretary ... Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, promotes Maria Jeffrey to director-speech writing and strategic communications.
Rich Ashooh, who resigned last week as Commerce Department assistant secretary-export administration, hired by Lam Research as global head-government affairs ... TechNet promotes Peter Chandler to vice president-federal policy and government relations ... Digital Realty adds Melody Neil, who ran her own government relations practice, as senior director-business operations and government affairs ... TaxCloud taps Bruce Johnson, the co-founder of Streamlined Sales Tax Implementing States, as vice president-government affairs, legal.
From Raytheon Technologies, Al Thompson joins Intel as vice president, running chipmaker's state and federal governmental relations ... Sinclair Chief Development Officer Scott Shapiro adds newly created post of chief strategy officer-sports ... Wells Fargo adds from Bank of America Ather Williams as head-strategy, digital and innovation.
Jenner & Block hires for Native American Law Practice include as partners Keith Harper, the practice's chair and who has worked on communications and other issues; and Robert Harmala, who works on intellectual property, telecom, media, advertising and other issues and also is chair, Government Relations Practice ... Ford Motor promotes John Mellen to general counsel, effective Aug. 1, replacing Bradley Gayton, who moves to Coca-Cola senior vice president-general counsel Aug. 31.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) designates Commissioner Dan Scripps as chair, Public Service Commission, replacing Sally Talberg, who remains on the commission; she resigned as chairman due to being considered to serve on Electric Reliability Council of Texas board, a position needing Texas Public Utility Commission OK; if that occurs, she would resign from the PSC before joining the board in January ... Internet Infrastructure Coalition and Domain Name Association plan to combine; spokesperson tells us the joint board will include Melinda Clem, from Afilias, as chairwoman, and James Bladel, GoDaddy; Christian Dawson is executive director; he's on the board of i2C, where he's also executive director and co-founder.
Internet Association hires, from General Services Administration Technology Transformation Services, Omid Ghaffari-Tabrizi as director-cloud policy ... FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel says her aide Jessica Martinez leaving to be legislative director for Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas ... Relativity Space appoints Caryn Schenewerk, ex-SpaceX, vice president-regulatory and government affairs.
Ex-Solicitor General Noel Francisco rejoins Jones Day ... Digital Licensee Coordinator hires Lauren Danzy, ex-SoundExchange, as director-operations and outreach; DLC represents digital music services in the music licensing system created by the Music Modernization Act ... As Skydio drone maker raises $100 million, hires include ex-U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General Brendan Groves as head-regulatory and policy affairs; Mark Cranney named chief operating officer, he's ex-Signalfx, which Splunk bought, and also ex-Andreessen Horowitz, a Skydio investor; and Chief Marketing Officer Alberto Farronato joins from Gremlin.
Ballard Spahr adds Jay Coogan, ex-DLA Piper, as partner, Business and Transactions Department, working on deals, with clients including in technology ... Sidley Austin adds Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek, ex-O’Melveny & Myers, as partner, Private Equity practice, working on deals including information services and technology, media and software ... Twilio adds from Facebook Mike Buckley as vice president-corporate communications ... Rockwell Automation advances Patricia Contreras to vice president, she's the "first Latina to lead the company’s global public affairs."
Patent and Trademark Office announces Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reappoints Commissioner for Patents Drew Hirshfeld to a second five-year term; original term ends July 31, and new one ends July 31, 2025 ... Defense Secretary Mark Esper announces U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios designated acting undersecretary-research and engineering; White House Office of Science and Technology Policy says Kratsios remains CTO; Esper also says Mark Lewis is acting deputy undersecretary defense-research and engineering and remains director-defense research and engineering for modernization.
Telecom analyst Jennifer Fritzsche leaves Wells Fargo, she tells us ... TikTok adds from office of House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., Michael Hacker, named the company's director-global public policy ... At Waitr on-demand food ordering and delivery, lawyer Thomas Pritchard appointed general counsel; Mark D’Ambrosio, ex-Centerfield Media, named chief sales officer; and David Cronin, ex-iPayment, chief engagement officer ... NGA 911 hires Mike DeWeese, ex-Intrado, as vice president-technology.