Roman Pipko (born July 10, 1960) is an American lawyer who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the United States ambassador to Estonia.
Roman Pipko | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Estonia Nominee | |
| Assuming office TBD | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Succeeding | George P. Kent |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 10, 1960 Estonia |
| Relatives | Elizabeth Pipko (daughter) Marc Klionsky (father-in-law) |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
Early life and education
editPipko was born in Estonia to Russian-Jewish parents.[1][2] His parents were defense attorneys and graduates of the Leningrad Law School sent to illegally occupied Estonia after graduating.[2]
At an early age, his mother enrolled him in an Estonian-language preschool against his father's wishes.[2] He attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu in Estonia while it was under Soviet occupation.[3] He was not fully fluent in Estonian at the time according to a classmate, future MP Valdo Randpere, who described him as capable despite not being fluent in the language.[4]
In 1981, his mother left her husband, a member of the Communist Party, with their children to escape communism and start a better life for her family in the United States.[5] Despite strict laws restricting emigration during the illegal Soviet occupation, Jews were sometimes allowed to emigrate.[4] He graduated from Columbia University and Yale Law School in 1986 after immigrating to the United States.[6][7]
Career
editAfter immigrating to the US in 1981, Pipko worked at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.[8] He practiced law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where he was a specialist in Russian law.[9] He represented America as a senior counsel the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and was senior managing director of the Russian American Enterprise Fund.[10] He has been involved in projects for the Export Import Bank.[5]
Pipko visited Estonia as a legal advisor to U.S. investors including Ronald Lauder in 1991 where he proved his fluency in Estonian and Russian.[11] In 2009 he was the majority partner of Remi International which was part of a consortium, also with Ronald Lauder, that launched Tallinn Entertainment to renovate Tallinn City Hall.[12] The project was to include a conference center, concert hall, casino center, and hotel at the site.[13] Although an agreement was signed,[14][15] it was canceled because the city and the company could not agree on the project's ownership structure.[16] The site continues to be abandoned.[13] He also participated in failed negotiations for an American consortium to renovate a cement plant in Kunda.[4]
He was an executive and special counsel at Leon Tempelsman and Son.[17]
In 2024, he was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States ambassador to Estonia.[18] The announcement is high-profile because Estonia is a United States NATO ally that borders Russia.[19][20]
Philanthropy
editHe is president of the board of trustees of the Park East Day School.[6]
Family
editModel and political operative Elizabeth Pipko is his daughter. He is married to Elena Klionsky, a concert pianist and daughter of Marc Klionsky.[21]
He and his family have been members of the Park East Synagogue since 1974.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Trump chooses Estonia-born lawyer as ambassador to the Baltic nation". POLITICO. 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b c Pipko, Simona (2002). Baltic Winds: Testimony of a Soviet Attorney. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781469112787.
- ^ "Kes on tulevane USA suursaadik Eestis? Toonane kursusekaaslane ja lähedane sõber: ta oli väga tubli õppija". Delfi (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b c ERR, Valner Väino | (2025-01-07). "Some Estonian political leaders praise Trump ambassador nominee". ERR. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
- ^ a b "Linnahalli arendajal pole USA valitsuse tagatist". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "Board of Trustees". Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Trump proposed the former head of the Russian-American foundation for the post of ambassador to Estonia - Pravda Latvia". latvia.news-pravda.com. 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ Simona Pipko & Roman Pipko, Inside the Soviet Bar: A View from the Outside, 21 INT'L L. 853 (1987) https://scholar.smu.edu/til/vol21/iss3/13
- ^ Knecht, BY G. Bruce (1992-01-26). "From Soviet Minister to Corporate Chief". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ Russian-American Enterprise Fund Annual Report 1994 (PDF).
- ^ ERR (2025-01-04). "Trump valis oma suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi Roman Pipko". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Linn maksab sadu tuhandeid linnahalli kütmise eest". Postimees (in Estonian). 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b "FOTOD JA VIDEO | Linnahalli lugu seitsmes vaatuses. Selle meepoti ümber on tiirelnud kirev seltskond. Meenuta, milline see seest välja näeb". Ärileht (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Aas lendab USAsse linnahalli investoritega lepingut sõlmima". www.ohtuleht.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Linnahalli renoveerimiseks on leping sõlmitud". Ehitusuudised (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Trump valis järgmiseks suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi". Delfi (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Roman Pipko". Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Trump chooses Estonia-born lawyer as ambassador to the Baltic nation". POLITICO. 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ ERR (2025-01-04). "Trump valis oma suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi Roman Pipko". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "About". Elena Klionsky. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ "Roman Pipko". Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School. Retrieved 2025-01-08.