G7 recipient
Charles C. Foster is an American immigration attorney
and chairman of the Houston-based law firm Foster LLP.
Foster has earned top awards from organizations including
Chambers and Partners, Texas Monthly magazine, and the
American Immigration Law Foundation. He also serves as
the Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand
in Houston and has received four Royal decorations from
His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
In addition to his work as an attorney, Foster’s past activi-
ties include a membership on the Bush-Cheney Presiden-
tial Transition Committee for the Department of Justice
in 2001, a position as a Senior Immigration Policy Advi-
sor for the George W. Bush presidential campaigns in both
2000 and 2004, and an immigration policy advisory role
in Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. His politi-
cal contributions also include testimonies before the U.S.
House and Senate subcommittees on immigration.
Foster is best known for his role in helping ballet perform-
er Li Cunxin stay in the United States over the objections
of Chinese Communist Party officials, which was memo-
rialized in Cunxin’s autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer and
later in a film by the same name.
Charles Foster
........................
G lobal I mpact
Foster was born in Galveston, Texas. He earned both his
Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor at the University of
Texas at Austin. He is active in several community organi-
zations, including serving on the boards of InterFaith Min-
istries, the Houston Ballet, the Hobby Center for Public
Policy, the International Institute of Education – Southern
Region, and Neighborhood Centers, Inc. He was recog-
nized with the Refugee Services Humanitarian Award in
November 2010.
Foster holds and has held a number of positions at profes-
sional and philanthropic organizations. He is the former
president of the American Immigration Lawyers Associa-
tion, the founding Chairman of the State Bar of Texas Im-
migration and Nationality Law Section, past Chair of the
American Bar Association Coordinating Committee on
Immigration Law, and past Vice Chairman of the Houston
Bar Foundation. He is Chairman of Americans for Immi-
gration Reform, Board Member of the Greater Houston
Partnership (and former Chairman of its Economic De-
velopment and World Trade Divisions), Chairman of the
Asia Society – Texas Center, Trustee at the Asia Society
– New York, and Chairman of the Inter Faith Ministries
of Greater Houston. Foster is also past Chairman of the
Houston International Festival, and former president of
the Houston Forum and Houston Club. He also initiated
and co-chaired the George H. W. Bush and James Baker
monuments in Sesquicentennial Park, Houston.
Foster currently resides in Houston, Texas. He is married
with four children.
30 iF Magazine | May 2018