Robert Lighthizer

Robert Lighthizer
18th United States Trade Representative
In office
May 15, 2017 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byMichael Froman
Succeeded byKatherine Tai
Personal details
Born
Robert Emmet Lighthizer

(1947-10-11) October 11, 1947 (age 77)
Ashtabula, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationGeorgetown University (BA, JD)

Robert Emmet Lighthizer (born October 11, 1947) is an American lawyer.[1][2] He was the 18th United States Trade Representative from May 15, 2017 to January 20, 2021.[3]

Lighthizer is a partner with the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he works to gain access to foreign markets on behalf of U.S. corporations.[4] In the 1980s, he served as deputy trade representative during President Ronald Reagan's administration.[5]

Early life

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Lighthizer was born in Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 and a Juris Doctor in 1973 from Georgetown University.

Career

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From 1973 through 1978, before working in government, Lighthizer worked for the Washington, DC law firm of Covington & Burling.[6]

In 1983, during the administration of President Ronald Reagan, he became deputy trade representative.[6][7] He negotiated two dozen bilateral international agreements on subjects ranging from steel to grain.[7]

In 1985, Lighthizer negotiated against the United States, on behalf of Brazil, in a trade dispute over ethanol.[8] Between 1985 and 1990, Lighthizer represented five foreign clients.[8]

He has been a long time supporter of the U.S. steel industry.[9] He convinced Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and the United Kingdom to accept “voluntary restraint agreements” to limit the amount of cheap steel they could dump on the U.S. market.[10]

United States Trade Representative (2017–2021)

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On January 3, 2017, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced that he planned to nominate Lighthizer as U.S. trade representative, a cabinet-level position.[11]

Lighthizer's nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on a 82-14 vote.[3]

Personal life

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Lighthizer lives in Rockville, Maryland[6] and has 2 children.[6][12]

References

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  1. ↑ Rasky, Susan F. (September 30, 1984). The steel trade negotiations; the experts who will forge the new quotas. The New York Times. Last visited January 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ Nomination of Robert Emmet Lighthizer To Be a Deputy United States Trade Representative Archived 2018-08-24 at the Wayback Machine. The American Presidency Project. Last visited January 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Needham, Vicki (2017-05-11). "Senate confirms Trump's chief trade negotiator". TheHill. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  4. ↑ MARA LIASSON (January 3, 2017). "Trump Picks Robert Lighthizer To Be U.S. Trade Representative". NPR.
  5. ↑ Robert E. Lighthizer. Skadden.com. Last visited January 3, 2017.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Ronald Reagan: Nomination of Robert Emmet Lighthizer To Be a Deputy United States Trade Representative". Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Robert E. Lighthizer". Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bill Allison (January 25, 2017). "Trump's Trade Pick May Face Hurdle Over Past Lobbying for Brazil". Bloomberg L.P.
  9. ↑ Estelle Tran (January 5, 2017). "STEEL INDUSTRY CHEERS NOMINATION OF LIGHTHIZER AS US TRADE REPRESENTATIVE". Platts.
  10. ↑ David Francis (January 9, 2017). "Trump's New Trade Guru May Actually Be the Adult in the Room". Foreign Policy Magazine.
  11. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer (January 3, 2017). Trump Taps China Critic Lighthizer for U.S. Trade Representative. Bloomberg. Last visited January 3, 2017.
  12. ↑ Anne Swardson (January 19, 1987). "ROBERT E. LIGHTHIZER". Washington Post.

Other websites

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Media related to Robert Lighthizer at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Robert Lighthizer at Wikiquote