Charles Manatt

Charles Manatt died at age 75 on the evening of July 22, 2011 in Richmond, Virginia, after prolonged illness and hospitalization.

In 2007, the law firm was employing 380 attorneys. It was founded as a general practice and now incorporates litigation, corporate finance, entertainment, health care, real estate, advertising, and lobbying. Some of their notable clients are: in advertising, Coca Cola Company, and Yahoo!; In entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Eagles, and in consumer services, AT&T, Hilton Hotels Corporation, and Time Warner. Their internal revenue in 2007 was $242 million.

Manatt served as ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1999 to 2001, representing the government of President Bill Clinton.

Manatt was a former chair of the board of directors of the International Foundation of Election Systems. He and his wife Kathleen established the Manatt Democracy Studies Fellowship Program in 1998.

In 1987, he chaired Illinois Sen. Paul Simon's presidential campaign and co-chaired the Bill Clinton presidential campaign, 1992.

In 1983, Manatt was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Whittier College.

Manatt was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1985. In those years, he supervised and directed the 1984 Democratic National Convention. He was a delegate, sometimes categorized as a super delegate. He was the founder of the law firm Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips LLP, where his practice focused on international, administrative, and corporate law. He also served as ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1999 to 2001. Manatt served until June 2008 as chairman of the board of trustees at the George Washington University. His widow is Kathleen K. Manatt.

In 1965, while living in Los Angeles. he founded the Manatt law firm with his long-time friend and colleague Thomas Phelps, a banking and finance attorney. He began his legal career focusing on banking and financial services. In 1976, Mickey Kantor joined the firm and his name was added to the letterhead, until his departure in 1993. L. Lee Phillips, an entertainment lawyer, joined the firm in 1977, and became a named partner soon after. For its founding location, the firm headquarters are in Los Angeles. Over time, offices were opened in 8 different cities, primarily in California but also in New York and Washington D.C.

Manatt married Kathleen (Kathy) Klinkefus on December 29, 1957, in Audubon, Iowa. They then moved to Washington, D.C., where they had their first child, Michele. The family then moved to Los Angeles, where they had two boys, Timothy and Daniel. The family moved back to Washington D.C. in 1980 for Manatt's appointment as DNC Chair, while Michele was attending university, where the two boys attended and graduated from Sidwell Friends School. Manatt continued expanding the law firm, where it grew to have offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Washington, D.C., Orange County, California, Palo Alto, California, Sacramento, California, and Albany.

In 1954, Manatt began studying at Iowa State College (later University) and was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He and Kathy Klinkefus, who also attended Iowa State, graduated in early 1958. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Washington D.C., and he began studying at the George Washington University School of Law, graduating in 1962.

Charles Taylor Manatt (June 9, 1936 – July 22, 2011) was a U.S. Democratic Party political figure. He was an American lawyer, politician and businessman.