Robert A. Sherman

For other people named Robert Sherman, see Robert Sherman.
Robert Sherman
GCIH
United States Ambassador to Portugal
In office
April 5, 2014 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byAllan J. Katz
Succeeded byGeorge Edward Glass
Personal details
BornNovember 10, 1953
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Political partyDemocratic[1]
Alma materUniversity of Rochester
Boston University School of Law

Robert A. Sherman (born 1953)[2] is an attorney who served as United States Ambassador to Portugal from 2014 to 2017.

Early life and education

Sherman hails from Boston, Massachusetts. Sherman earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of Rochester in 1975 and a J.D. at Boston University School of Law in 1978.[1]

Career

Law career

Sherman worked in private practice as an attorney at a small Boston firm during the 1980s, as well as at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot, LLC. in the 1990s.[1] From 1991 to 1993, Sherman also served as assistant attorney general of Massachusetts and chief of the state's Consumer Protection Division.[3] In 1993, Sherman then served as a special counsel for the state attorney general.[1]

In 1999, Sherman co-founded the Boston office of the Miami law firm Greenberg Traurig. In this capacity, Sherman focused his practice on corporate investigations and consumer protection.[1]

From 2002 to 2004, Sherman was co-lead counsel representing claimants in a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.[1]

Sherman was a fundraiser for Obama for America, raising at least $500,000, and has personally donated more than $80,000 to Democratic candidates and organizations.[1][3][4]

Sherman was appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in January 2013.[1][3][5]

Sherman has served as a board member of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Children's Trust Fund, and has been co-chair of the Boston Arts Academy Annual Gala Benefit and the Boston CURE Gala for the Epilepsy Foundation.[1]

Ambassadorship

On July 25, 2013 Sherman was nominated by President Barack Obama to be U.S. Ambassador to Portugal.[6][7][8] The United States Senate confirmed Sherman by voice vote in February 2014.[9]

Sherman presented his credentials to the President of the Portuguese Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, in Lisbon on May 3, 2014.[2]

Sherman's first official act as ambassador was speaking at the Carlucci American International School of Lisbon for the graduation of its senior class on 1 June 2014.

Ambassador Sherman became notable for his enthusiastic support of the Portugal national football team during the 2016 UEFA European Championship, uploading several humorous videos to social media, featuring himself draped on the Portuguese flag and wearing the team jersey, and holding bets with U.S. ambassadors in other countries.[10]

Shortly after his ambassadorship, he was awarded the Order of Prince Henry by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, during a ceremony at the Hall of Ambassadors, in Belém Palace. The Portuguese President remarked that "by definition, the North American Ambassadors are always magnificent Ambassadors, but [Sherman] was, if that is possible, more magnificent than the magnificent."[11]

Novo Banco

On October 13, 2017, Lone Star Funds, owner of 75% of the bank Novo Banco, announced Sherman would become a member of the General and Supervising Committee (Portuguese: Conselho Geral e de Supervisão) of the latter.[12]

Currently

Sherman is a senior advisor and advisory board member at Rasky Partners.[13]

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ambassador to Portugal: Who Is Robert Sherman?". AllGov.com. September 30, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Robert Sherman (1953–)". Office of the Historian. May 3, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Robert Sherman '75 Named Ambassador". University of Rochester. October 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  4. ^ Ondraskova, Danni (October 31, 2015). "U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Speaks at Wellesley". Wellesley News. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  5. ^ Goode, Jo (March 19, 2014). "Ambassador to Portugal enjoying his new assignment". The Herald News. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  6. ^ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". White House Office of the Press Secretary. July 25, 2013.
  7. ^ Heil, Emily (July 26, 2013). "Obama bundler Sherman gets Portugal post". Washington Post.
  8. ^ "Appointed: Attorney Robert Sherman nominated Ambassador to Portugal – Washington, DC". Portuguese American Journal. July 27, 2013.
  9. ^ "Senate votes to confirm US ambassadors". The Hill. February 12, 2014.
  10. ^ Riso, Leonor (30 June 2016). "Os divertidos vídeos do embaixador dos EUA para apoiar Portugal" [The fun videos of the U.S. Ambassador in support of Portugal]. Sábado (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Presidente da República condecorou antigo Embaixador dos EUA em Lisboa" [The President of the Republic honored the former U.S. Ambassador in Lisbon] (in Portuguese). 10 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  12. ^ Costa, António; Atalaia, Rita (October 13, 2017). "Ex-embaixador americano regressa a Lisboa, para o Novo Banco" [Former American ambassador returns to Lisbon, to the Novo Banco]. ECO - Economia Online (in Portuguese). Lisbon: Swipe News, SA. Retrieved October 13, 2017. O fundo Lone Star já escolheu os membros do novo Conselho Geral e de Supervisão do Novo Banco e, entre eles, estará Robert Sherman, até janeiro passado o embaixador dos Estados Unidos em Portugal, apurou o ECO junto de fontes que estão a acompanhar o processo.
  13. ^ Robert Sherman, Rasky.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by U.S. Ambassador to Portugal
April 5, 2014–January 20, 2017 		Succeeded by