Jeffrey I. Kessler
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security
| president = Donald J. Trump
| education = Yale College (BA), University of Chicago (MA), Stanford University (MS), Stanford Law School (JD)
| term_start = March 20, 2025
| nationality = American
| occupation = Lawyer
}}
{{Short description|American lawyer}}
Jeffrey I. Kessler is an American lawyer currently serving as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security in the second Trump administration.{{Cite web |title=Jeffrey Kessler {{!}} U.S. Department of Commerce |url=https://www.commerce.gov/about/leadership/jeffrey-kessler |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=www.commerce.gov |language=en}} He previously was a partner in WilmerHale's International Trade Practice and served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Enforcement and Compliance during the first Trump presidency.{{Cite web |title=Rising Star: WilmerHale's Jeffrey I. Kessler - Law360 |url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1494837/rising-star-wilmerhale-s-jeffrey-i-kessler |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.law360.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Jeffrey I. Kessler |url=https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/people/jeffrey-kessler |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.wilmerhale.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-10-28 |title=Jeffrey Ian Kessler |url=https://fedsoc.org/contributors/jeffrey-kessler-2 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=fedsoc.org}}{{Cite web |date=June 12, 2018 |title=Jeffrey I. Kessler, Statement before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance |url=https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Jeffrey%20Kessler,%20Senate%20Finance%20Committee%20Statement.pdf |access-date=January 22, 2025 |website=U.S. Senate Committee on Finance}}{{Cite news |last=Jagoda |first=Naomi |date=2019-02-05 |title=Senate panel advances Trump's pick for key IRS role |url=https://thehill.com/policy/finance/428545-senate-panel-advances-trumps-pick-for-key-irs-role/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20191102135928/https://thehill.com/policy/finance/428545-senate-panel-advances-trumps-pick-for-key-irs-role |archive-date=2019-11-02 |access-date=2025-01-22 |work=TheHill |language=en}}
Education
Kessler holds a BA from Yale, an MA from the University of Chicago, and an MA and JD from Stanford.
Career
Kessler rejoined WilmerHale after serving as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Enforcement and Compliance in January 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-21 |title=Jeffrey I. Kessler, Top US Commerce Department Trade Enforcement Official, Rejoins WilmerHale |url=https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/news/20210121-jeffrey-i-kessler-top-us-commerce-department-trade-enforcement-official-rejoins-wilmerhale |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.wilmerhale.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Wilmer Lawyer, Trump Pick for Trade Compliance Head, Reveals Salary, Clients |url=https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2017/11/16/wilmer-lawyer-trump-pick-for-trade-compliance-head-reveals-salary-clients/?slreturn=2025012304012 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=National Law Journal |language=en}}
In early February 2025, Trump nominated Kessler to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security in his second administration.{{Cite news |last=Freifeld |first=Karen |date=January 14, 2025 |title=Exclusive: Trump eyes Washington trade lawyer for key China post at Commerce Dept |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-eyes-washington-trade-lawyer-key-china-post-commerce-dept-2025-01-13/ |access-date=January 22, 2025 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite web |last=Apostoaie |first=Ella |date=2025-01-22 |title=Who's Who on Trump's China Team |url=https://www.thewirechina.com/2025/01/22/whos-who-on-trumps-china-team/#jeffrey-kessler |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=The Wire China |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=POLITICO Pro: Trump names Kimmitt, Kessler to top Commerce trade roles |url=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/02/trump-names-kimmitt-kessler-to-top-commerce-trade-roles-00202321 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=subscriber.politicopro.com |language=en}} He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 13, 2025.{{Cite web |title=Nomination Hearing {{!}} United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs |url=https://www.banking.senate.gov/hearings/02/20/2025/nomination-hearing |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=www.banking.senate.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ahead of Confirmation Hearing, Warren Questions Under Secretary Nominee Kessler on Export Controls, Enforcement, and National Security Concerns {{!}} United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs |url=https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/ahead-of-confirmation-hearing-warren-questions-under-secretary-nominee-kessler-on-export-controls-enforcement-and-national-security-concerns |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=www.banking.senate.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-03-13 |title=PN22-12 - Nomination of Jeffrey Kessler for Department of Commerce, 119th Congress (2025-2026) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/22/12 |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=www.congress.gov}}{{Cite web |last=Weatherbed |first=Jess |date=2025-03-26 |title=US expands export blacklist to keep computing tech out of China |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/636277/us-chinese-export-restrictions-blacklist-80-companies |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kessler, Jeffrey}}
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:Second Trump administration personnel
Category:Stanford Law School alumni
Category:United States Department of Commerce officials
Category:University of Chicago alumni
Category:Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr partners