Akerman LLP added two partners to its ranks, with Matthew Goldstein joining the Washington, D.C.-based Government Affairs and Public Policy practice, and Andrew Dominguez joining the International Litigation and Arbitration practice in Miami, the firm announced.

Taylor Bates, former judicial law clerk at the Court of International Trade, joined CBP as an attorney in the Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel with the international trade litigation team, Bates announced on LinkedIn. At CBP, Bates will work on matters concerning the treatment of imports under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and alleged violations of import laws and regulations. Aside from clerking for the trade court, Bates also carried out a judicial internship at CIT under Judge Claire Kelly. She graduated in 2021 from the Brooklyn Law School.

President Joe Biden on Oct. 12 named senior International Trade Administration official Livia Shmavonian to be head of the Made in America initiative. In the new role, Shmavonian will oversee use of federal procurement to back American manufacturing. The office was created under outgoing Director Celeste Drake within OMB to boost domestic manufacturing and raise the domestic content threshold for federal procurement from 55% to 75%. Shmavonian most recently worked as the ITA's director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs and senior adviser to the undersecretary. Before that, she was staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness and senior adviser to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

John Carlin, former acting deputy attorney general at DOJ, has joined Paul Weiss as co-head of the Cybersecurity & Data Protection practice and partner in the Litigation Department, the firm announced. Carlin's practice will focus on cyber incident responses, crisis management, national security issues, white collar defense and the work of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., the firm said. At DOJ, he held the acting deputy AG position from January to April 2021, later serving as principal associate deputy AG under Deputy AG Lisa Monaco and AG Merrick Garland. Carlin's work centered on oversight of the FBI, leading an initiative to stop corporate crime, and cracking down on individuals and entities helping Russia evade sanctions, the firm said.

Sohan Dasgupta, a former Department of Homeland Security deputy general counsel, joined Taft as a partner in its Washington, D.C.-based Litigation practice group, the firm announced. Dasgupta worked at both DHS and as special counsel at the Department of Education. In these positions, he worked on matters relating to international trade, including export controls, sanctions, customs compliance, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., Team Telecom and the supply chain, the firm said. Most recently, he was a partner and member at Frost Brown.

Liza Craig, former DOD attorney, has joined Goodwin as a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based Global Trade practice, the firm announced. Her practice will center on the procurement process; disputes over awards, administration and termination of government contracts; and on contract compliance proceedings, Goodwin said. Previously, Craig worked with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and DOD on issues pertaining to the issuance of security clearances needed to carry out classified work. She also is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School and the Georgetown University Law Center on government contracts and dispute resolution, the firm said.

Jan Walter, former U.K. senior public servant, has joined Akin Gump as a senior policy adviser in the public law and policy practice, the firm announced. Walter will be based in Geneva, marking the practice area's first foray abroad, the firm said. Walter's experience includes working as a senior intellectual property adviser to the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Mission in Geneva and as a diplomat for the permanent mission of the Czech Republic in Geneva. At Akin Gump, he will represent clients before the World Trade Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Health Organization and other bodies, the firm said.

Julian Beach, senior associate at WilmerHale, resigned from the firm, effective Sept. 30, Beach announced in a notice of withdrawal filed at the Court of International Trade. Beach began his tenure at WilmerHale in June 2021, centering his practice on government and regulatory litigation, sanctions and international trade. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as an associate at Boies Schiller from 2018 to 2021, and before that, as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Beach did not respond to a request for comment as to the nature of his resignation or next career move.

Lois Wetzel, former associate attorney at Barnes Richardson, has joined CBP as a general attorney in the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel in Chicago, Wetzel told Trade Law Daily. According to her LinkedIn page, Wetzel previously worked at Barnes Richardson in 2019-2020, starting as a law clerk, then becoming an associate in May 2020. Before joining the firm, she worked as a legal intern with CBP. She graduated in 2019 from DePaul University College of Law.

Adam Goldberg, former partner at Simpson Thacher in Hong Kong, has joined Pillsbury Winthrop as a litigation partner in San Francisco, the firm announced. Goldberg's practice will center around issues relating to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, commercial bribery, violations of U.S. and Hong Kong securities laws, embezzlement and U.S. sanctions, the firm said. He also advises clients across a host of industries on matters involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., sanctions and export controls compliance. Much of his current practice, and practice at Simpson Thacher, revolves around China, though he has experience advising on matters involving South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, the firm said.