International Focus Magazine Vol. 2, #10 | Page 43

Q: First, tell us a little about
I first started practicing law with the
largest law firm in the United States
yourself and walk us through your
with a Latin American practice, Reid
background.
& Priest, located first at 2 Rector
A: While I was born in Galveston, Street and later at 40 Wall Street. I
which some people believe is presti- returned to Houston and practiced
gious, i.e. “Born on the Island” (BOI), law with Butler, Binion, Rice, Cook
I grew up in South Texas in McAl- and Knapp as an international law-
len not far from the border across yer and subsequently started my own
from Reynosa, Mexico, and attended law firm, Tindall & Foster (now Fos-
middle school and the first year of ter, LLP), which ultimately became
high school there. Later, we moved the largest immigration law firm not
to Corpus Christi. Growing up in only in Houston and the State of
a Spanish speaking culture made me Texas, but one of the largest in the
a budding internationalist. When I country.
traveled to Mexico as a youngster, I
was fascinated by Mexican history I served as an immigration policy ad-
and culture and later at the Univer- visor to Presidents George W. Bush
sity of Texas in Austin I minored in and Barack Obama and worked as an
International Studies with an em- immigration policy advisor to sev-
phasis on Latin America with a mi- eral other presidential candidates. I
nor in Spanish. I received a fellow- served as the first and only Chairman
ship to study international law in the of the Immigration Task Force for
Republic of Chile. Later, I graduated the State of Texas and was the first
from the University of Texas School non-New York area national Presi-
of Law in Austin. While there, I was dent of the American Immigration
President of the International Law Lawyers Association. Until recently,
Society and started the exchange I chaired the Board of the Asia Soci-
program between the University of ety Texas Center for 24 years and was
Texas School of Law and the Uni- Chairman of the Board of Interfaith
versidad de Guanajuato. I also hosted Ministries of Greater Houston.
the then immediate past President of
Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek.
Q: What does a Consul in your
capacity do?
A:
As Honorary Consul General
of the Kingdom of Thailand, I think
honorary consuls can do as much or
as little as any career consular officer.
While we may not initially have the
same background, in time we learn
a great deal about the country we
represent. In my case, we have the
authority to issue visas and we have
become one of the larger Thai visa
issuing consular posts, in some cases
larger than career consular posts. We
represent Thailand at official func-
tions and host Thai officials when
they visit the region. I have hosted
the Prime Minister of Thailand as
well as Her Majesty Queen Sirikit
and the now King of Thailand, His
Majesty Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Q: Tell us about the Thai Honorary
Consulate General in Houston. What
parts of America are covered by the
Consulate and what are the services it
provides?
A: The Honorary Consulate Gen-
eral of the Kingdom of Thailand
in Houston essentially covers what
might be described as a central Texas
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