An Indian American lawyer has been appointed as special assistant to Under Secretary in Department of Commerce in Bush administration.

Ajay Kuntamukkala will soon join as special assistant to Under Secretary Kenneth Juster in the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce, effective from September 2.

Kuntamukkala has worked as an associate in the Washington office of Hogan & Hartson L L P and a member of the firm's International Trade Group.

His practice included assisting clients with export control and sanctions compliance, international trade litigation, international trade policy and business immigration matters.

His vast experience is expected to help him in his work at BIS, which is basically to advance US national security, foreign policy, and economic interests.

Kuntamukkala, whose parents migrated from Andhra Pradesh, is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Centre.

He received a masters in public policy from Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government, where he studied international trade and financial policy.

Kuntamukkala is currently the president of the South Asian Bar Association in Washington, an organisation devoted to the interests of South Asian attorneys and those interested in South Asian legal systems.