José H. Villarreal is a consulting senior advisor* to the firm and provides strategic counseling to firm clients on a range of legal and policy issues affecting such clients.
Prior to becoming a consultant to Akin Gump, Mr. Villarreal was a longtime partner with the firm. Before that, he served as an assistant attorney general in the Public Finance Division of the Texas attorney general’s office and in 1993 served as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
Mr. Villarreal has a broad political background as well and has served in senior roles in a number of presidential campaigns, including, most recently, as a senior advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. In 2000 he served as national treasurer of the Gore-Lieberman campaign and in 1992 as deputy campaign manager of the Clinton-Gore campaign.
Mr. Villarreal has long been active in civic affairs and has served on the governing boards of numerous organizations, both public and private. He currently serves on the boards of the Center for American Progress, one of the nation’s leading think tanks, and the U.S. Mexico Foundation, an organization committed to helping strengthen Mexico’s non-profit sector. He recently served on the board of the New America Alliance, an organization of distinguished American Latino business leaders. For many years, he served as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza, where he led a successful capital campaign that raised funds to establish a headquarters building in Washington, D.C. He also served as vice chair of the board of the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Close-Up Foundation, the nation’s leading civic education organization.
He served as U.S. Commissioner General to the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, a post to which he was named by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Villarreal currently serves on the board of directors of the KIPP Foundation, PMI Group, Union Pacific and First Solar, Inc. From 1998 to 2006 he served on the board of directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Mr. Villarreal has been recognized by numerous publications for his achievements and in 2011 he received a distinguished alumni award from Purdue University. In 2001, Mr. Villarreal was inducted into the prestigious Academy of Law Alumni Fellows by the Indiana University School of Law.
Mr. Villarreal received his B.A. in 1975 from Purdue University and his J.D. in 1979 from the Indiana University School of Law. He is a member of the State of Bar of Texas.
*Mr. Villarreal serves as a consultant to the firm.