Philip S Kaplan

Background and Education

Following a distinguished career as a diplomat in the United States Foreign Service, and an international practice at Patton Boggs LLP, Philip S. Kaplan joined Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe LLP''s Washington, DC office as a partner. 

Ambassador Kaplan’s practice focuses on public and private international law, advising clients on international cross border business transactions, public policy, trade and investment matters, and issues involving foreign governments. He has represented five foreign sovereign governments in the United States and provides corporate clients with international strategic risk assessment. He assists clients before Washington regulatory agencies and with governments around the world. He represents both American and foreign corporations and individuals pursuing international business opportunities. 

Ambassador Kaplan''s practice includes management of high-visibility litigation and arbitration matters, anti-trust cases before the European Commission, sensitive immigration matters and higher education. He has led ten investment missions to the Philippines and has been engaged for clients at the juncture of law, business and policy, with a substantial focus on East Asia and the developing world. His sovereign representations have included the Philippines, Qatar, Peru, the Czech Republic and Nigeria. 

Ambassador Kaplan entered the United States Foreign Service after his tenure as counsel to the California Legislature, under a Ford Foundation grant, and in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. He served as U.S. ambassador and deputy representative to the 22-nation Vienna Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which led to an historic treaty reducing force levels in Europe and ending the Cold War. 

Ambassador Kaplan was appointed as US Minister, deputy chief of mission and Charge d''Affaires to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines during the country''s democratic transition from Ferdinand Marcos to Cory Aquino. Previously, he served as principal deputy assistant secretary of state for policy planning, covering the full range of US foreign policy. He twice served as senior advisor to and international trouble shooter for secretaries of state, with special assignments in Latin America, Europe, East Asia and Africa - and later served as senior advisor on the Policy Planning Staff. His Foreign Service career also has included assignments at the US Embassy in Bonn, Germany, the US Mission to the European Union in Brussels and frequent official travel around the world. Ambassador Kaplan is currently authoring a novel set in Iran. 

Philip Kaplan received his BA degree cum laude from the University of Connecticut, majoring in history, economics and philosophy. He received his JD degree from Boalt Hall of Law, the University of California Berkeley and has studied international relations at Stanford University. He served as Adjunct Professor at Brown University, American University and George Washington University''s Elliot School of International Affairs. He now teaches at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He is married to Barbara Kaplan, a teacher at the Washington International School.