Robb LaKritz
Encyclopedia
Robb LaKritz served as Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury from 2001 to 2003. LaKritz is a U.S.-based real estate developer, former senior U.S. economic official and international lawyer
.
, Michigan
in 1972. He is of Hungarian-Jewish descent. The eldest of three siblings and only son of a prominent Michigan
attorney and former kindergarten
teacher
, LaKritz moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
at age 13 and attended Andover High School.
In 1994, LaKritz earned a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Michigan
, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude and earning dual departmental honors for his work in international relations
and political science
. In 1992, LaKritz also studied international law and economics at Franklin College Switzerland
, a Swiss college specializing in international affairs.
Upon graduation, LaKritz moved to Atlanta, Georgia
to work for U.S. President Jimmy Carter
at the Carter Center
. While at the Carter Center, LaKritz also earned a J.D. from Emory University School of Law
, serving as an editor of the Emory International Law Review, for which he authored an article on the philosophical foundations of Chinese law. LaKritz also attended China's East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai
, where he studied comparative legal philosophy and Chinese law.
law firm of Baker Donelson
, working in the firm's China practice, which included former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger
and former White House Chief of Staff
and U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Howard H. Baker.
In 2001, at age 28, he was appointed by U.S. President George W. Bush
to be Special Assistant and Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury. At Treasury, LaKritz helped direct U.S. domestic economic policy, including U.S. banking and financial institutions policy, and U.S. international economic policy, particularly with regard to China, India and the Middle East. He represented the U.S. Treasury at the World Economic Forum
in 2002, Harvard's Symposium on Building the Financial System of the 21st Century, and during the 2001 and 2002 annual meetings of the World Bank
, the International Monetary Fund
, and the Asian Development Bank
. He was involved in the formation of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), a fund established by the U.S. government to reduce poverty through economic growth in some of the world's poorest countries; U.S. efforts to stem the financing of terrorism; and U.S. efforts to promote financial stability abroad. In March 2009, he was invited by the Wall Street Journal to participate in its Future of Finance Initiative.
The firm's real estate investment and development projects include The Moderno, the fastest selling condominium project of 2009 in Washington, D.C., The Veritas Building, One Silver Spring, Petworth Station, The Madera, The Galvin and the historic Watha T. Daniels home. The firm's activities have been profiled in the Washington Post, Washington Times, Washington Business Journal,Washington City Paper
, DC Spaces Magazine, DC Modern Luxury, OnSite Magazine, and on Fox5 News.
In 2009, LaKritz was named one of the most influential people under 40 in the nation's capitol by Washington Life Magazine. He sits on the board of directors of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization, the 9/11 Unity Walk, an interfaith peace initiative, and International Art Affairs. He is a member of the 2008 Class of Leadership Greater Washington, District of Columbia Bar Association, Urban Land Institute
, D.C. Preservation League and D.C. Building Industry Association. He is also an annual participant in the Aspen Institute
Ideas Festival, TED
and Renaissance Weekend
.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Early life and education
LaKritz was born in Royal OakRoyal Oak
The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles confirmed to Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 1972. He is of Hungarian-Jewish descent. The eldest of three siblings and only son of a prominent Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
attorney and former kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, LaKritz moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
at age 13 and attended Andover High School.
In 1994, LaKritz earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude and earning dual departmental honors for his work in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. In 1992, LaKritz also studied international law and economics at Franklin College Switzerland
Franklin College Switzerland
Franklin College Switzerland is a private, independent, liberal arts college in Switzerland with an enrollment of approximately 450 students. Located in the Italian speaking city of Lugano, Franklin offers Bachelor of Arts degrees that are accredited by both the Commission on Higher Education of...
, a Swiss college specializing in international affairs.
Upon graduation, LaKritz moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
to work for U.S. President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
at the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
. While at the Carter Center, LaKritz also earned a J.D. from Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...
, serving as an editor of the Emory International Law Review, for which he authored an article on the philosophical foundations of Chinese law. LaKritz also attended China's East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, where he studied comparative legal philosophy and Chinese law.
Political career
In 1997, LaKritz became an attorney with the Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
law firm of Baker Donelson
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz P.C. is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group with offices in the Southeastern United States, Washington, D.C. and London, England. According to the National Law Journal's 2010 rankings, it is the 72nd largest law firm in the United States, and...
, working in the firm's China practice, which included former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger
Lawrence Eagleburger
Lawrence Sidney Eagleburger was an American statesman and former career diplomat, who served briefly as the United States Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush. Previously, he had served in lesser capacities under Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H....
and former White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
and U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Howard H. Baker.
In 2001, at age 28, he was appointed by U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to be Special Assistant and Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury. At Treasury, LaKritz helped direct U.S. domestic economic policy, including U.S. banking and financial institutions policy, and U.S. international economic policy, particularly with regard to China, India and the Middle East. He represented the U.S. Treasury at the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
in 2002, Harvard's Symposium on Building the Financial System of the 21st Century, and during the 2001 and 2002 annual meetings of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, and the Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
. He was involved in the formation of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), a fund established by the U.S. government to reduce poverty through economic growth in some of the world's poorest countries; U.S. efforts to stem the financing of terrorism; and U.S. efforts to promote financial stability abroad. In March 2009, he was invited by the Wall Street Journal to participate in its Future of Finance Initiative.
Business career
In 2003, at age 30, LaKritz founded LaKritz | Adler Investments, a privately-held group of real estate investment, development and management companies based in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The firm's real estate investment and development projects include The Moderno, the fastest selling condominium project of 2009 in Washington, D.C., The Veritas Building, One Silver Spring, Petworth Station, The Madera, The Galvin and the historic Watha T. Daniels home. The firm's activities have been profiled in the Washington Post, Washington Times, Washington Business Journal,Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
, DC Spaces Magazine, DC Modern Luxury, OnSite Magazine, and on Fox5 News.
In 2009, LaKritz was named one of the most influential people under 40 in the nation's capitol by Washington Life Magazine. He sits on the board of directors of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization, the 9/11 Unity Walk, an interfaith peace initiative, and International Art Affairs. He is a member of the 2008 Class of Leadership Greater Washington, District of Columbia Bar Association, Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
, D.C. Preservation League and D.C. Building Industry Association. He is also an annual participant in the Aspen Institute
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
Ideas Festival, TED
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
and Renaissance Weekend
Renaissance Weekend
Renaissance Weekend is an American retreat for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology and the arts. Conversations are off the record and subject matter ranges widely, tending to focus heavily on policy and business issues.-History:Founded in...
.