Gitenstein, Mark Henry, 1947-

<p>Mark Henry Gitenstein is an American lawyer who served as the United States Ambassador to Romania from 2009 to 2012. He was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 11, 2009 and confirmed by the United States Senate on July 8, 2009. As of December 14, 2012 he has completed his diplomatic assignment and has returned to private life in the United States.</p>

<p>The Romanian English-language newsdaily Nine O’Clock selected Ambassador Gitenstein as "The Foreign Diplomat of the Year for 2011." Gitenstein worked to strengthen relations with Romania on a variety of issues, focusing on fighting corruption, improving transparency, and strengthening the rule of law. He actively promoted deeper development of Romania's equity markets, as well as a fair and transparent business environment for all investors. He also encouraged greater private sector involvement in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including the introduction of a corporate governance code for SOEs. As a means of promoting social change, Gitenstein worked with TechSoup Romania to establish Restart Romania, a project designed to demonstrate the power of the internet and social media to find solutions to social justice problems, support transparency of public institutions, and promote grass roots efforts to fight corruption. The U.S. – Romanian Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement was signed and negotiated during Gitenstein's tenure in Bucharest. Gitenstein travelled to Afghanistan three times to visit U.S. and Romanian troops. He was a human rights advocate for the country's minority Roma population.</p>

<p>Gitenstein is of Romanian Jewish heritage, as his grandparents were immigrants from Botoșani, Romania in the late 19th century. He went to high school at the private Indian Springs School in Indian Springs, Alabama, graduating in 1964. He attended Duke University and Georgetown Law School. He is married to Elizabeth (Libby) Gitenstein and has three children and five grandchildren.</p>

<p>He was previously a law partner at Mayer Brown, beginning in 1989 and a "nonresident senior fellow" at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of <i>Matters of Principle</i>, and has been selected by his peers several times for inclusion in "Best Lawyers in America".</p>

<p>He was also on the advisory board for president-elect Barack Obama's presidential transition team. He was named as a leading choice to lead the Office of Legal Policy in the Department of Justice but was rejected after public reports of his extensive work as a registered lobbyist for the US Chamber of Commerce.</p>

<p>Prior to his work at Mayer Brown, Gitenstein served as Chief Counsel (1987–1989) and Minority Chief Counsel (1981–1987) to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, serving under then-Senator Joe Biden. Gitenstein also served as Counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (1975–1978).</p>

<p>Mark Gitenstein is senior counsel in the International Trade practice in Mayer Brown's Washington DC office. He was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Ambassador to Romania, completing his term of service at the end of 2012. He currently serves on the board of directors of The Biden Foundation.</p>

<p>As US Ambassador to Romania, he worked to strengthen relations with Romania on a variety of issues. He actively promoted deeper development of Romania’s equity markets, as well as a fair and transparent business environment for all investors. He also encouraged greater private sector involvement in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including the introduction of a corporate governance code for SOEs. Notably, the US-Romanian Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement was negotiated and signed during his tenure. In 2012, Romanian President Traian Băsescu awarded Mark with the “Star of Romanian Grand Cross,” the country’s highest civil order.</p>

<p>Before undertaking his ambassadorial role, Mark spent two decades at Mayer Brown, focusing his practice primarily on issues of government relations. He advised corporations and associations on legislative strategies, monitored and drafted legislation on behalf of corporate clients and advised clients in the context of antitrust, white-collar crime and civil liability controversies. Additionally, he was a non-resident senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, where he specialized in issues related to national security and civil liberties.</p>

<p>Prior to joining Mayer Brown in 1989, Mark was the executive director of the Foundation for Change, Inc. and earlier held several senior-level government positions, including chief counsel to the US Senate’s Judiciary Committee, minority chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee and chief counsel for the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Criminal Justice. He also served as counsel to the US Senate Intelligence Committee and counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights.</p>

<p>Mark is the author of <i>Matters of Principle</i>, an award winning book on his experience managing the Judiciary Committee staff during the confirmation battle over the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.</p>