Nate Bolin joined DLA Piper's Litigation and Regulatory practice as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced March 8. Bolin, who comes to the firm from Faegre Drinker, previously served as an international trade specialist at the International Trade Administration. He was recently reappointed to the Defense Trade Advisory Group for the 2020-2022 session. Bolin brings experience of advising clients on U.S. trade remedies, export controls, economic sanctions and Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters.

Thomas Feddo, former assistant treasury secretary for investment security, joined Capstone global policy and regulatory due diligence firm as a senior adviser, the firm announced in a Feb. 23 news release. As assistant secretary -- a position he held until last month -- he led the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., overseeing the national security review of cross-border investments. Feddo will be based in Washington, D.C.

Nazak Nikakhtar, who served several months as the Bureau of Industry and Security's acting undersecretary, joined Wiley Rein as a partner in its international trade and co-chair in its national security practice, the firm said Feb. 16. Nikakhtar was nominated to lead BIS in April 2019 but stepped down as she awaited Senate confirmation, returning to a senior position at the International Trade Administration (see 1908290044).

Andrea Delisi, former assistant chief counsel in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, joined Morrison & Foerster in its National Security and Global Risk + Crisis Management groups, the firm announced Feb. 10. She previously advised OFAC on legal issues including the office's economic sanctions programs involving Venezuela, Syria, Iran, human rights, corruption and terrorism.

CBP Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Trade Cynthia Whittenburg retired at the end of January, an agency spokesman said. CBP recently started seeking applicants for the position.

The White House announced its withdrawals of some nominations left over from the Trump administration. Those include the Jan. 3 nomination of Joseph Barloon, former general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, for a judge's seat on the Court of International Trade. He was first nominated in October 2020, then renominated because all nominations in front of the Senate expired with the seating of the new Congress in January. Also withdrawn was the Jan. 6 nomination of William Kimmitt, a former counselor to the USTR, to fill a vacancy on the International Trade Commission. He was first nominated in December 2020.

Firearms trade expert Michael Andersen is the new director of regulatory services for Orchid, a federal firearms license business and compliance software company. Andersen will lead Orchid's international trade practice related to import/export licensing, alcohol, tobacco and firearms compliance, and firearms e-commerce regulations, the company said in a news release. Previously, Andersen was the director of compliance at Brownells, working on federal firearms compliance and international trade programs.

Todd Owen, who was executive assistant commissioner-CBP Office of Field Operations until last year (see 2008070012), recently joined Diaz Trade Law as senior trade adviser, Jennifer Diaz said by email.

In the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is being added to the Finance Committee, the Senate majority leader announced Feb. 2. In the House, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., are joining the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee chairman announced Feb. 2. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who has been a very active member of the Trade Subcommittee, will now head the Oversight Subcommittee. Republicans added three members to the Ways and Means Committee to replace two members who retired, and to reflect their larger numbers in the House: Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.; Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa.; and Kevin Hern, R-Okla.

Clifford Chance hired international trade regulatory and national security expert Renee Latour as a partner at its Washington office, the firm announced in a news release Jan. 19. Latour was previously at Greenberg Traurig. She has 15 years of experience in matters concerning U.S. trade controls and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.