• Ivan Adler, a lobbying headhunter, left the McCormick Group on Friday after 23 years. On Tuesday, he launched Ivan Adler Associates, a boutique search firm specializing in government relations and public affairs.
{mosads}• Justin Towles has joined Akin Gump as a senior policy adviser in its communications and information technology practice. He previously co-founded Ascension Global, a firm that advises clients on advanced aviation issues including matters dealing with unmanned aircraft systems.
• Paul Leder, the former director of the Office of International Affairs at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has joined Miller & Chevalier Chartered as an of counsel in the litigation department. He left the SEC in June 2018 after more than four years at the agency. Leder has worked for seven months at the Milken Institute as a senior fellow in global market development.
• Velocity Government Relations named Jo-Anne Sears a partner. She joins from LinQuest, where she was a senior strategic communications adviser on space issues for the secretary of the Air Force. Earlier in her career, she was press secretary for then-Secretary of State Colin Powell in the George W. Bush administration.
• Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville hired Jeremy Scott and Julie Allen from the District Policy Group at Drinker Biddle. Scott is a senior government relations director and was at District Policy Group for more than 12 years. He worked as a legislative aide to former Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) earlier in his career. Allen is a senior director of government affairs and was previously senior vice president of the District Policy Group.
Alex Gangitano