Mickey Kantor | |
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| 31stUnited States Secretary of Commerce | |
| In office April 12, 1996 – January 21, 1997 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Ron Brown |
| Succeeded by | Bill Daley |
| 11thUnited States Trade Representative | |
| In office January 22, 1993 – April 12, 1996 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Carla Hills |
| Succeeded by | Charlene Barshefsky |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1939-08-07)August 7, 1939 (age 86) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4 |
| Education | Vanderbilt University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Michael Kantor (born August 7, 1939) is an American attorney who served as theUnited States Trade Representative from 1993 to 1996 andUnited States Secretary of Commerce in 1996 and 1997.
Born and raised inNashville, Tennessee, Kantor comes from a family ofJewish furniture retailers led by his parents, including his father, Henry Kantor.[1] Kantor earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and economics fromVanderbilt University in 1961. He then served four years as a supply officer in theUnited States Navy and subsequently earned aJuris Doctor fromGeorgetown University in 1968.[2]
Initially, Kantor worked for theLegal Services Corporation, providing legal assistance to migrant farm workers. From 1976 to 1993, he practiced law with the Los Angeles law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Phillips & Kantor (nowManatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP), and was active in Democratic politics and fundraising. He formerly served and is founder of the LA Conservation Corps.[3]
During the 1992 campaign, Kantor served as head of pre-transition planning for the Clinton administration, and then formally led transition planning once their election was certified.[4][5][6][7]
An advocate offree trade, Kantor, as Trade Representative, led U.S. negotiations that created theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), such as theUruguay Round, andNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Kantor also engaged in organizing theMiami Summit of the Americas and three meetings of theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, including the U.S.-hosted First Leaders' Meeting. With theEuropean Commission of the newly formed European Union, he expanded the trans-Atlantic market.
Kantor became United States Secretary of Commerce on April 12, 1996, succeedingRon Brown, who had been killed in the1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash.[8]
Kantor practices law in the Los Angeles office ofMayer Brown,[9] an international law firm based in Chicago. He is the board of directors co-chair ofVision to Learn[10] and theUniversity of Southern CaliforniaAnnenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy;[11] a board officer ofDrug Strategies;[12] a leadership council member of theSargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law;[13] a steering committee member of Japan House;[14] and a board member ofLexmark International, Inc.[15] and thePacific Council on International Policy.[16]
Kantor has been married to broadcast journalist Heidi Schulman since 1982, following the death of his first wife, Valerie Woods Kantor in a 1978plane crash inSan Diego.[17][18] He has three children. Another son, Russell, died in a single-car crash in October, 1988, while a senior in high school.[18]
He formerly served on the board of directors ofCBRE,[19] board of visitors forGeorgetown Law,[20] and international advisory board forFleishmanHillard.[21] Kantor was awarded theOrder of the Southern Cross by the government ofBrazil in 2001.[22]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Trade Representative 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Commerce 1996–1997 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member |
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