BISD board hires interim legal counsel
Brownsville Independent School District trustees on Wednesday named a Houston law firm that specializes in school law as the district’s interim legal counsel.
The vote to name Thompson & Horton LLP to the position was unanimous, although trustee Minerva Peña emphasized afterward that she was against naming an interim counsel. She said she would prefer to name a firm to the position permanently based on criteria specified by BISD in a request for qualifications.
Tony Resendez of Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos, P.C, the district’s current counsel, said trustees could take another vote to reflect Peña’s opposition, but no vote was taken.
“Having an interim can get very expensive,” Peña said.
Board president Catalina Presas-Garcia then said the board’s previous majority had simply told members which law firm it was hiring. She referred to the Navarro law firm of Harlingen, which prosecuted the case against former superintendent Hector Gonzales. Additionally, she said the board had spent $3.9 million on legal fees in recent years.
She said that as board president she had given trustees a choice in hiring the interim firm. At a specially called board meeting Dec. 2, trustees were given a choice of five firms that submitted qualifications for the position. Trustees asked for more time to go over credentials, and the meeting was postponed until Wednesday.
On Nov. 16 the board gave 30 days’ notice that it will end its contract with Walsh-Anderson. The Austin-based firm has represented the BISD board since 2007, with Mike Saldaña as its local counsel. Walsh Anderson specializes in public school and special education law.
Meri Schneider-Vogel, a partner in Thompson & Horton, said the firm is “happy for the opportunity to work for the district.” She said the school-law section of the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm in Houston last year broke away from the firm to form Thompson & Horton. Together the partners have more than 30 years of public education experience, she said, and the firm represents 49 school districts.
Presas-Garcia said the board is ready to work with Thompson & Horton and looks forward to a successful relationship. “They bring much knowledge and experience in school law,” she said.
