Wikipedia

Roman Pipko

Roman Pipko (born July 10, 1960) is a Russian-American lawyer who was born in Estonia while it was under Soviet occupation.

Early life and education

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Pipko was born in Estonia to Russian-Jewish parents (he is not Estonian).[1][2] At an early age, his mother enrolled him in an Estonian-language preschool against his father's wishes.[2] 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.[3] His parents were defense attorneys and graduates of the Leningrad Law School sent to illegally occupied Estonia after graduating.[2]

He attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu in Estonia while it was under Soviet occupation, where he learned Estonian.[4] He also graduated from Columbia University and Yale Law School in 1986.[5][6]

Career

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After immigrating to the US in 1981, Pipko worked at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.[7] He practiced law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where he was a specialist in Russian law.[8] He represented America at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and was managing director of the Russian American Enterprise Fund.[9] He has been involved in projects for the Export Import Bank.[3]

Pipko visited Estonia as a legal advisor to U.S. investors including Ronald Lauder in 1991 when Estonia was still under illegal Soviet occupation where he proved his fluency in Estonian and Russian.[10] 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.[11] The project was to include a conference center, concert hall, casino center, and hotel at the site.[12] Although an agreement was signed,[13][14] it was canceled because the city and the company could not agree on the project's ownership structure.[15] The site continues to be abandoned.[12]

In 2024, he was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States ambassador to Estonia.[16] The announcement is high-profile because Estonia is a United States NATO ally that borders Russia.[17][18]

Philanthropy

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He is president of the board of trustees of the Park East Day School.[5]

Family

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Model and political operative Elizabeth Pipko is his daughter. He is married to Elena Klionsky, a concert pianist and daugher of Marc Klionsky.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Trump chooses Estonia-born lawyer as ambassador to the Baltic nation". POLITICO. 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  2. ^ a b c Pipko, Simona (2002). Baltic Winds: Testimony of a Soviet Attorney. ISBN 9781469112787.
  3. ^ a b "Linnahalli arendajal pole USA valitsuse tagatist". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  4. ^ "Kes on tulevane USA suursaadik Eestis? Toonane kursusekaaslane ja lähedane sõber: ta oli väga tubli õppija". Delfi (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  5. ^ a b "Board of Trustees". Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Knecht, BY G. Bruce (1992-01-26). "From Soviet Minister to Corporate Chief". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  9. ^ Russian-American Enterprise Fund Annual Report 1994 (PDF).
  10. ^ ERR (2025-01-04). "Trump valis oma suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi Roman Pipko". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  11. ^ "Linn maksab sadu tuhandeid linnahalli kütmise eest". Postimees (in Estonian). 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Aas lendab USAsse linnahalli investoritega lepingut sõlmima". www.ohtuleht.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  14. ^ "Linnahalli renoveerimiseks on leping sõlmitud". Ehitusuudised (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  15. ^ "Trump valis järgmiseks suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi". Delfi (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  16. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  17. ^ "Trump chooses Estonia-born lawyer as ambassador to the Baltic nation". POLITICO. 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  18. ^ ERR (2025-01-04). "Trump valis oma suursaadikuks Eestis siin sündinud juristi Roman Pipko". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  19. ^ "About". Elena Klionsky. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
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