THE THREE AMIGOS OF LAW

 

Note the change of location:  May 4, Thursday, 11:30 am - 1:15 pm, Grotto Restaurant, 4715 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77027.  Complimentary valet parking and free parking garage in the back.

 

Please join us for a special program featuring Robert Eckels, Charles Foster and Rick Olsen, aka THE THREE AMIGOS OF LAW, all prominent members of the Rotary Club of Houston and interesting personalities in their own right, as they discuss, their careers in Law, revealing never-before disclosed facts about their early years, what caused them to want to become Lawyers, the "Ups and Downs" of a career in the law- in other words, "All you ever wanted to know about Lawyers but were afraid to ask"

 

Law Day is held every May 1, to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession and its role in building trust in American Institutions and Advancing Social Justice, Protecting Human Rights and Promoting the Rule of Law The United States has 1,350,000 licensed attorneys, 93,000 in Texas more per-capita than any country in the world. It is fitting and proper that we take this day to honor our Three Amigos of Law. Please invite your friends to this important, fun-filled program. 
 

For info: contact Joe Colangelo, Chair of the Day 713-4121875, or jcolan@gmail.com

 

ROBERT ECKELS: General Counsel and Director of Greffex, Inc. a company using genetic engineering for research and development of vaccines and genetic therapy. Robert is also Counsel to the law firm of Husch Blackwell, LLP., a national firm where his practice is focused on representing governmental clients and corporate compliance and finance. Robert’s legal career is built on decades in public service and leadership in the state legislature and as County Judge (executive) of Harris County, Texas, with 4 million residents, America’s third largest county. As County Judge, he created the county department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. After Hurricane Katrina, Robert organized the largest shelter operation in US history as over 60,000 evacuees fleeing the floods in New Orleans found shelter in Harris County’s Astrodome and NRG Park. He served 18 years is chairman of the Texas County & District Retirement System, at $34 billion, one of America’s largest and most actuarially sound pension funds. He is a founder and past director of Texas Central Railway, a company undertaking development of high-speed rail service between Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Robert earned a national reputation as a leader in health care, disaster response and recovery, transportation, public private partnerships, and finance.

 

CHARLES FOSTER: Chairman of Foster LLP, based in Houston with offices in Houston, Dallas and Austin. Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America, practice primarily representing multinational companies and foreign investors regarding U.S. immigration law. Charles heads up one of the largest immigration practices in the nation.
 

Charles has dedicated much of his career to the improvement of his community, serving as senior immigration policy advisor to President George W. Bush, immigration policy advisor to President. Barack Obama, He is the founding Chair of the Immigration & Nationality Law Section of the State bar of Texas, Chairs of Texas Governor’s Task Force on Immigration, chaired various committees on Immigration with Greater Houston Partnership, Governor’s Task Force on Immigration, The American Bar Assn., The State Bar of Texas Immigration committees and was past National President of the American Immigration Lawyers Assn.

  

Charles has the distinction of having a Hollywood actor, Kyle MacLachlan play him in a hit movie, Mao's Last Dancer.  The1981 movie discusses famed Chinese Ballet Dancer, Li Cunxin, who decided to stay in America rather than being repatriated back to China by Chairman Mao and sought Charles' advice to help him gain release from the Chinese Consulate in Houston.

 

RICK OLSEN: Founder and principal of The Olsen Law Firm, P.C.—a national litigation firm with an emphasis on commercial and business-related matters. He has successfully represented individual and corporate clients in federal and state jurisdictions throughout the United States for over twenty years. 

 

Prior to practicing law, Rick served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Harris County Sheriff’s Department for more than a decade. There, he served as a member of the elite motorcycle unit, an accident investigator, and inspector within the Traffic Enforcement Division. Rick believes his law enforcement experience and perspective as a trial attorney continue to serve his clients on a daily basis.

 

Rick has been a member of the Rotary Club of Houston since 2009. He served as President of the Club during the 2017-2018 Rotary year, served as Assistant Governor for Rotary District 5890 during the 2020-2021 Rotary year, and currently serves as Chairman of the Rotary Club of Houston Foundation Board. Rick graduated with honors from South Texas College of Law, where he served as an Articles Editor for the South Texas Law Review. Rick and his wife, Nan, have been married for thirty-one years and reside in Cypress, Texas.