Howard Lutnick was formally sworn in as commerce secretary during a White House ceremony Feb. 21. The Senate confirmed Lutnick for the position Feb. 18 (see 2502190014).
Danny Meza, a former senior adviser with the Bureau of Industry and Security and the State Department, has joined the nonprofit Global Business Alliance as its director of trade policy, GBA’s president announced on LinkedIn. Meza most recently was a senior policy adviser to the House of Representatives.
John Eisenberg, former legal adviser to the National Security Council who served during the first Trump administration, is President Donald Trump's pick to lead DOJ’s National Security Division, DOJ announced last week. Eisenberg also previously held several roles within DOJ, including in the office of the deputy attorney general. If confirmed, Eisenberg will oversee the division that prosecutes various export control, sanctions, foreign investment and other national security-related violations.
Karalyn Mildorf, a former partner at White & Case, has joined Clifford Chance to work on international trade and national security issues, the firm announced. Mildorf's practice centers on Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. matters, compliance with the U.S. outbound investment security program, and more, the firm said.
Christopher Padilla is leaving his role as vice president for government and regulatory affairs at IBM to join the Brunswick Group as a senior adviser, he announced on LinkedIn. Padilla, a former Bureau of Industry and Security senior official, said he will advise on trade and tariff issues.
Kimberly Gahan, a lawyer formerly with the Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council, has joined GE Aerospace as chief counsel for regulatory affairs, she announced on LinkedIn. Gahan, who left the government last month, was the State Department’s assistant legal adviser for nonproliferation and arms control from July 2023 to April 2024.
Emily Benson, who has worked for the Commerce Department since July as a senior adviser for trade and technology policy issues, is leaving the agency to join an advisory firm focused on geopolitics and technology, she announced on LinkedIn. Benson said she plans to continue working on “all things tech and trade, from export controls and AI to investment screening and supply chain dynamics.”
Crystal Saleh, formerly a supervisor for Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. issues at USDA, is no longer with the government after being "impacted" by the Trump administration's sweeping cuts of employees who are still on probationary status, she announced on LinkedIn. Saleh had been with USDA since February 2024, where she oversaw projects related to CFIUS compliance and agriculture.
Abby Kohlman, former DOJ prosecutor in the fraud section, has rejoined Akin Gump as senior counsel in the white collar defense and government investigations practice, the firm announced. At DOJ, Kohlman also served as special counsel for the Office of Legislative Affairs. Kohlman's practice will focus on advising clients on congressional investigations and other government inquiries, including those related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Bonnie Jenkins, former undersecretary of state for arms control and international security in the Biden administration (see 2502120058), has joined George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs as the Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs, the university announced Jan. 30. The announcement notes that Jenkins' duties at State included overseeing the department’s efforts on the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) security partnership.