Houston-based immigration law firms merge

Two Houston-based immigration law firms with offices in the Rio Grande Valley have announced plans to merge, becoming the nation's second largest law firm dedicated exclusively to immigration law.

Citing a growing corporate demand for immigration legal services, Tindall & Foster, PC and Quan, Burdette & Perez will combine to form Foster Quan LLP, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

"Over the long-term, if you're an employer looking for the best and the brightest, you're increasingly finding yourself in the immigration business," said Charles C. Foster, director of the immigration section of Tindall & Foster and co-chairman of the newly formed Foster Quan.

The high-profile and often contentious immigration debate has fueled demand for immigration attorneys for people and businesses looking for help navigating U.S. immigration statutes.

The national immigration debate has centered on the more than 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States today, largely ignoring the broader story of globalization.

As businesses become the target of immigration raids and enforcement, the debate has begun to shift.

With comprehensive immigration reform unlikely until next year at the earliest, employers now find themselves seeking legal advice to avoid future entanglements.

The newly formed Foster Quan will have 56 attorneys and 165 staff members, capable of serving clients in 33 languages.

The firm will offer comprehensive inbound and outbound employment immigration services, a patented I-9 auditing and compliance process, and family immigration services.

The law firm will maintain its current offices in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico City.

Gordon Quan, founder of Quan, Burdette & Perez and co-chairman of Foster Quan, noted the firm would be strategically positioned to capture the flow of people and services in and out of the country.

"Global business really can't get moving until they make sure their visas are in order," Quan said. "Clearly, this is going to be a growth area in the future."