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'''Jeffrey Laurence Bleich'''<ref name="OaklandTribune">Richman, Josh. "[http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_13335762 Obama nominates Piedmont lawyer as ambassador to Australia]." ''Oakland Tribune'' September 14, 2009</ref> ({{IPAc-en|b|l|aɪ|ʃ}}; born 1961)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/bleich-jeffrey-l |title=Jeffrey L. Bleich (1961–) |publisher=History.state.gov |date=September 12, 2013 |access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> is an American lawyer and diplomat from [[California]].
A longtime friend of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]], Bleich joined the [[White House]] staff in March 2009 as Special Counsel to the President and was nominated later that year to become [[United States Ambassador to Australia]].<ref name="Norington">"Norington, Brad. "[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26060685-5013871,00.html Barack Obama's new man in Canberra: Jeff Bleich] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912235800/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26060685-5013871,00.html |date=September 12, 2009 }}." ''Australian'' September 12, 2009.</ref> Bleich served as ambassador from 2009 to 2013. After stepping down from his post, he returned to the United States and became a partner and group CEO at the [[Dentons]] [[law firm]] in [[San Francisco]],<ref>
==Early life and education==
Bleich was born at the [[Environmental Campus Birkenfeld|U.S. 98th Army Hospital]] in [[Germany]] and grew up in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Connecticut]].<ref name=usembassy>[http://canberra.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html Ambassador Bleich | Embassy of the United States Canberra, Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408161306/http://canberra.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html |date=April 8, 2012 }}</ref> He graduated from [[Hall High School (Connecticut)|Hall High School]] in [[West Hartford, Connecticut]]. Bleich graduated from [[Amherst College]] ''[[Latin honors|magna cum laude]]'' with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] [[Academic degree|degree]] in [[political science]] in 1983. Bleich was admitted to study at [[Harvard University]] but deferred for a year to take a public policy fellowship at the [[Coro (non-profit organization)|Coro Foundation]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], where he became involved in [[juvenile justice]] issues. At Harvard, Bleich went to the [[John F. Kennedy School of Government]] as a 1986 John F. Kennedy Fellow, graduating with a [[Master of Public Policy]].<ref name="Norington"/><ref name="CSU"/> Bleich attended the [[University of California, Berkeley School of Law]] and received his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] in 1989. He was editor-in-chief of the ''[[California Law Review]]'' and [[Order of the Coif]].<ref name="Norington"/> He received a Certificate of Study in Public and Private International Law from the [[Hague Academy of International Law]], [[Netherlands]] in 1993.
Bleich also holds three honorary degrees. In May 2011, Bleich was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from San Francisco State University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calstate.edu/honorarydegrees/2011/bio-bleich.shtml|title=Honorary Degrees | CSU}}</ref> In 2014, [[Flinders University]] in Adelaide, South Australia awarded him the honorary Degree of Doctor of the University.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flinders.edu.au/about/governance/awards-and-prizes/honorary-degree-recipients.cfm |title=
==Legal career==
Bleich served as a [[law clerk]] to Judge [[Abner
Bleich joined the [[Los Angeles]]-headquartered firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP in 1992, and was made partner three years later, in December 1995.<ref name="MTO">[http://www.mto.com/lawyers/Jeffrey-L-Bleich Jeffrey L. Bleich] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214232537/http://www.mto.com/lawyers/Jeffrey-L-Bleich |date=December 14, 2013 }}, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.</ref> His practice there was focused primarily on general [[Civil law (common law)|civil]] [[litigation]], with emphasis on complex litigation, appellate practice, media law, communications law, and [[intellectual property]].<ref name="CSU"/> Bleich was recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the ''[[The Daily Journal Corporation|Daily Journal]]'', as California Attorney of the Year by ''[[California Lawyer]]'', and as one of America's leading "Bet the Company" lawyers by ''Best Lawyers''.<ref name="MTO"/>
Bleich has also been recognized for his pro bono service to immigrants, homeless and foster youth, veterans, victims of gun violence, survivors of domestic abuse, human rights organizations, religious and racial minorities, gay and lesbian servicemembers, journalists, native Americans, detainees, and others victims of discrimination. These include the Peter Haas Public Service Medal from University of California, Berkeley,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://awards.berkeley.edu/peter-e-haas-public-service-award-recipients|title = Peter e. Haas Public Service Award Recipients | Berkeley Awards}}</ref> the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanbar.org/groups/probono_public_service/projects_awards/pro_bono_publico_award/past_recipients/|title = Past Recipients}}</ref> the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Robert Sproul Award,<ref>https://lccrsf.org/page/2/?s=sproul+ {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> the American Jewish Committee Learned Hand Award,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.berkeley.edu/article/boalt-alumnus-jeffrey-bleich-89-elected-california-state-bar-president/|title = Boalt Alumnus Jeffrey Bleich '89 Elected California State Bar President| date=July 24, 2007 }}</ref> the One Justice Attorney of the Year Award,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://onejustice.org/champions-of-justice/|title = Champions of Justice – OneJustice}}</ref> and the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbasf.org/past-events.html |title=Jewish Bar Association of San Francisco: Events |website=www.jbasf.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711095615/http://www.jbasf.org/past-events.html |archive-date=2016-07-11}}</ref> among others.
From 1993-2006 Bleich served as an [[Adjunct professors in the United States|adjunct lecturer in law]] at Berkeley Law, teaching [[United States constitutional law|constitutional law]] and upper-level seminar courses in [[Human rights#International human rights law|international human rights]], [[habeas corpus]], and appellate advocacy.<ref name="CSU"/>
Bleich served as president of the [[State Bar of California]] from 2007 to 2008. He was also president of the San Francisco Bar Association in 2003,<ref name="CSU"/> and served as
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Bleich as Special Counsel to the President in the White House. Among his tasks was to address confirmation and personnel issues and to advise on other sensitive matters. He moderated a discussion on human rights in the new administration at the 2009 [[American Bar Association]]'s Section of International Law Spring Meeting in April 2009.<ref>"[http://www.insidejustice.com/law/index.php/intl/2009/04/20/aba_international_law_spring_obama ABA Section of International Law Panel Discussion: Re-Shaping the Human Rights Agenda: Opportunities in the New Obama Administration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713040341/http://www.insidejustice.com/law/index.php/intl/2009/04/20/aba_international_law_spring_obama |date=July 13, 2011 }}," Inside Justice, April 20, 2009.</ref>
Bleich returned to legal practice in 2014. Following the end of his diplomatic service, Bleich rejoined the partnership at the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson.<ref name="MTO"/> In 2016, Bleich joined Dentons LLP<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=1202752417558/Dentons-Bags-ExUS-Aussie-Ambassador-From-Munger-Tolles?slreturn=20160417175356 |title=Dentons Bags Ex-U.S. Aussie Ambassador From Munger Tolles |publisher=The American Lawyer |date=March 16, 2016 |access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> and became group CEO.<ref>https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-bleich-4036354 {{Self-published source|date=June 2022}}</ref> Bleich's practice focused on cybersecurity,<ref>http://www.mto.com/news/headlines/2015/jeff-bleich-and-grant-davis-denny-discuss-cross-border-data-privacy-in-southeast-asia {{dead link|date=June 2017}}</ref> trade,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mto.com/news/headlines/2015/jeff-bleich-quoted-in-the-wall-street-journal-on-historic-trade-deal- |title=
Bleich was appointed Special Master for the United States District Court in a multi-district litigation dispute involving international price fixing,<ref name="leagle.com"/> and also has served as a neutral in high-stakes technology disputes, including mediating a $650 million settlement the ''In re Facebooks Biometrics'' case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-businesswire/452688732ac74174a3ad238c2108beb2|title = Record-Breaking $550 million Settlement in Principle of Biometric Privacy Lawsuit Reached by Law Firms Edelson, Robbins Geller and Labaton Sucharow and Facebook|website = [[Associated Press]]|date = January 29, 2020}}</ref>
Bleich joined Cruise
==Higher Education and Academic Positions==
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From 2014-2020, Bleich served as a member of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and as the Board Chair from 2016-2019.
Bleich
He was elected to the board of his ''alma mater'' Amherst College in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/facts/trustees/biographies/node/684153|title=Trustees: Jeffrey L. Bleich|website=Amherst College|access-date=2019-10-19}}</ref>
Bleich
In 2018, Flinders University named Professor Bleich a Professorial Fellow
==U.S. Ambassador to Australia==
Prior to being selected by President Obama to serve as U.S. Ambassador, Bleich had been a life member of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]]<ref name="CSU"/> the [[Pacific Council on International Policy]], the [[International Law Association]], and a member of the
The Senate confirmed Bleich to be [[United States Ambassador to Australia]] in a [[voice vote]] on November 10, 2009. His [[diplomatic credentials]] were accepted by the [[Governor-General of Australia]], [[Quentin Bryce]], on November 24, 2009. Bleich's term in Australia was marked by the U.S. "rebalance" to the Asia-Pacific, with Australia being the focal point for that shift.<ref>Interview with Ambassador Bleich, The Politic: Yale Journal of International Policy 2013 http://thepolitic.org/an-interview-with-jeff-bleich-u-s-ambassador-to-australia/</ref>
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Bleich joined President Obama at the announcement of the rebalance at a special sitting of Parliament in Canberra before traveling with Obama to [[Darwin, Northern Territory]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://photos.state.gov/libraries/adelaide/231771/speeches/20111116.pdf|title=Remarks of Ambassador Bleichat the US Embassy, Canberra PresidentObama Introduction to Staff |publisher=|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Other key achievements included overseeing record growth in trade between the U.S. and Australia, bringing the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty into force, establishing new alliance agreements for satellites and cyber, executing a new space cooperation agreement that supported the Mars Curiosity rover landing, leading [[Operation Slipper|joint U.S.-Australia efforts]] in Afghanistan's [[Oruzgan province]], and promoting regional efforts to reduce domestic violence.<ref name=usembassy/><ref>National Press Club Address, November 2012, http://www.npc.org.au/speakerarchive/ambassador-jeffrey-bleich1.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232418/http://www.npc.org.au/speakerarchive/ambassador-jeffrey-bleich1.html |date=December 2, 2013 }}</ref>
For his service, Bleich received numerous awards, including the highest civilian honors awarded by the [[U.S. Secretary of the Navy]] and [[Director of National Intelligence]]. In 2013, he received the State Department's highest award for a non-career ambassador, the [[Awards of the United States Department of State#Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service|Sue M. Cobb Prize for Exemplary Diplomatic Service]]. Former Prime Minister [[Paul Keating]] called Bleich "the best U.S. Ambassador ever sent to Australia" at the John Curtin Lecture in [[Perth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxwxiv27GNU |title=YouTube |publisher=YouTube |date= |access-date=June 6, 2017}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead
==Other Involvement in Politics==
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Bleich is the Chair of the Board of [[Nuix]], a publicly traded company on the ASX.<ref name="Ambassador p. 25">["Mr. Ambassador's words of Wisdom for Biden Administration," the Weekend Australian 14 November 2020 p. 25, byline Damon Kitney"]</ref> Nuix produces forensics and information integrity software that was used in the Panama Papers investigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/surging-nuix-points-to-the-tech-future-20201204-p56kn1|title = Why a surging Nuix points to the tech future|date = December 4, 2020}}</ref> It was the largest tech IPO of any company on the ASX in 2020 and one of the largest tech IPOs ever on the ASX.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?offerset=ta_8for8_premium_new&sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fcompanies%2Fmassive-stag-for-nuix-as-shares-rocket-on-debt%2Fnews-story%2F2d2d7c87007df7db038df801975d0aeb&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&adobe_mc_sdid=SDID%3D26EF7D1DD5F09EBD-658B2BE19BE91220%7CMCORGID%3D5FE61C8B533204850A490D4D%40AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1607907916&adobe_mc_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F|title = Subscribe to the Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps}}</ref>
Bleich previously served as Chair of the Board of PG&E Company during its bankruptcy proceedings from April 2019 to May 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.planningreport.com/2019/05/30/new-pge-board-chair-jeff-bleich-utilitys-path-forward|title = New PG&E Board Chair Jeff Bleich on the Utility's Path Forward | the Planning Report}}</ref> Bleich joined PG&E as part of an interim Board to restructure the company following its liability exposure for fires associated with PG&E equipment in 2017 and 2018.<ref name="Ambassador p. 25"/> Bleich participated in PG&E's reparations to all wildfire victims, the company's acknowledgement of criminal wrong-doing, and its successful emergence from Bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite
In 2018, Flinders University in Adelaide established the Jeff Bleich Centre for the U.S. Alliance in Digital Technology, Security, and Governance in recognition of Bleich's work in this field.<ref>{{cite
Bleich served on the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board after being appointed by President Obama in November 2014, and was later elected
Bleich
In California, then-Governor Jerry Brown appointed Bleich to the Governor's International Trade and Investment Advisory Council.,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18954 |title=Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Newsroom |publisher=Gov.ca.gov |date= |access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> and then-Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed Bleich to serve on her Blue Ribbon Cyber-Exploitation Panel. Bleich also Chaired Governor Brown's judicial selection advisory committee for the selection of judges from 2014-2018. Bleich was appointed by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye to serve as Vice-Chair of the Rules Revision Commission for the State Bar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/Conduct-Discipline/Ethics/Committees/Rules-Revision/Rules-Commission-2014/Roster|title=The State Bar of California}}</ref>
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Bleich's wife is Rebecca Pratt "Becky" Bleich,<ref name="OaklandTribune"/> and they have three children, Jake, Matthew and Abby. He collects [[Elvis Presley]] [[memorabilia]].<ref name="Norington"/>
Bleich
== See also ==
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