For Judge Eckels, achieving client goals is about careful preparation, anticipating challenges and marshalling the right resources at the right time to overcome obstacles.
Judge Eckels is recognized as a national leader in issues of transportation, public finance/public private partnerships (P3), crisis management, disaster preparation, response and recovery, homeland security, education and health care. He served six terms in the Texas state legislature before being elected County Judge of Harris County, and served on advisory committees to President George W. Bush and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
He brings deep problem-solving experience to large-scale projects. As County Judge of Harris County, he was nationally lauded for his leadership in response to Hurricane Katrina, during which he oversaw the conversion of the Astrodome and Reliant Park into the largest shelter operation in U.S. history, housing a quarter of a million people displaced by the storm. Judge Eckels was also indispensable to the creation of the Houston TranStar Transportation and Emergency Operations Center, which assists local governments and emergency responders to serve and protect residents during disasters and emergencies. Most recently, Eckels is a founder and director of Texas Central Railway, the company undertaking the development, design, construction, finance and operation of a new high-speed passenger train line between the Dallas Metroplex and Greater Houston.
Having served on the boards of both publicly traded and private companies, Judge Eckels is well-versed in corporate governance, stakeholder and shareholder issues and routinely assists clients with litigation and negotiation, as well as planning, risk management and compliance.