Adelman, David Isaac, 1964-

<p>David Isaac Adelman (born May 24, 1964) is an American lawyer, diplomat, and legislator. He was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore from 2010 to 2013. He is a partner in the global law firm Reed Smith LLP working out of the firm's New York office and regularly traveling to the offices in Asia. Adelman is former Managing Director of Goldman Sachs. He is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Noble Group Holdings, and a senior advisor to indexing firm BlueStar Indexes, private equity firm Olympus Capital and merchant bank Ion Pacific.</p>

<p>Throughout his legal career, Adelman has served in a variety of roles across the public and private sector. He was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia after which he joined the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan LLP.<p>

<p>In 2002, Adelman was elected to the Georgia State Senate. In the Senate, Adelman served as Minority Whip and as Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs Committee. During his eight years as a State Senator, Adelman introduced bills to improve government ethics, increase investments in renewable energy, expand stem-cell research, fight domestic violence, and streamline Georgia's corporate code. He served in the Senate until 2010 when he was confirmed as 15th U.S. Ambassador to Singapore.</p>

<p>In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Adelman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore. He was unanimously confirmed in 2010 and held the post until late 2013. As Ambassador, Adelman was recognized for his effectiveness in promoting trade and investment, both from U.S. companies to the region and Asian companies to the United States. He led eight U.S. trade missions to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Vietnam. His 2012 trade mission to Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, was the first by an American business delegation. He resigned from service as Ambassador to Singapore in 2013 and was named Managing Director by Goldman Sachs based in Hong Kong.</p>

<p>In 2013, Adelman was appointed by the Singapore government to the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Capital Markets Committee and by the Hong Kong government to the Executive Board of the Treasury Markets Association. Adelman was also a member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Adelman's official papers from his diplomatic and legislative service are part of the collection at the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia. In 2016, in recognition of his public service the State of Georgia dedicated a bridge as the Ambassador David Adelman Bridge on State Highway 42 over Peachtree Creek. Adelman is a member of the Advisory Council of the Israel-Asia Center.</p>

<p>Ambassador David Adelman is a partner in the New York office who also frequently works out of Reed Smith’s offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. David represents financial institutions in regulatory matters and advises clients on trans-Pacific trade and investment issues.</p>

<p>David served as the 15th United States Ambassador to Singapore, concluding his term in 2013. During his term as U.S. Ambassador, David led eight trade missions to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. His 2012 trade mission to Nepyidaw was the first American business delegation to the capital of Myanmar.</p>

<p>He launched the U.S.-Singapore Strategic Partnership Dialogue and established a Third Country Training Program to address health, educational and environmental issues in South East Asia. David was awarded the U.S. State Department Superior Honor Award for his diplomatic leadership. Also during his tenure, the United States and Singapore jointly agreed for the first time to the forward deployment of U.S. Navy vessels to Singapore. His work earned David the United States Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award granted by the U.S. Navy to non-military personnel.</p>

<p>Subsequent to his service as a diplomat, David served as a member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Capital Markets Committee and the Executive Board of the Hong Kong Treasury Markets Association. He also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. David is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and teaches international relations at New York University. He serves on the Southeast Asia Advisory Board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>

<p>David was an instructor in the Honors Program at the University of Georgia, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. David received his J.D. from Emory University and a master’s from Georgia State University. He is a frequent speaker on international affairs and infrastructure development.</p>