Baker McKenzie has promoted partner Sunny Mann to global chair of the firm's International Commercial & Trade Practice Group, effective July 1, it announced in a March 23 press release. Mann, currently in the firm's London office, has been with Baker McKenzie for 21 years and has worked on a host of international trade issues, including compliance with sanctions, export controls and foreign investment rules.

Tyler McGaughey, former Treasury Department deputy assistant secretary for investment security, is joining Winston & Strawn's Washington office, the firm announced March 18. McGaughey will advise clients on Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters.

Daniel Ikenson, who spent 20 years at Cato Institute advocating for free trade, has joined research firm ndp analytics as director of policy research.

Brenda Smith, CBP executive assistant commissioner-trade, will retire at the end of the month, Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said March 17 at the start of a Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee meeting. Also retiring soon is Steven Graham, international trade liaison in the Office of Trade Relations, COAC member Lenny Feldman said during the meeting.

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.