J. Michael Solar

J. Michael Solar is the founder and Managing Partner of Solar Law. Over the course of his 44-year career he has provided counseling, investigation and litigation services to numerous Fortune 500 firms, civic and religious organizations, foreign governments and working families.

Mr. Solar has been involved in complex multiparty litigation spanning the spectrum of domestic and international actions including: business disputes, fraudulent transactions, maritime, products liability, catastrophic injuries, wrongful deaths, pharmaceutical products' liability, and medical malpractice. He is a frequent writer, lecturer, and is often the subject of local, national and international interviews regarding questions of law and his litigation.

Mr. Solar’s international, labor and trade experience was founded upon his early work in the maritime law arena and representation of the U.S. National Maritime Union, the Pan-Hellenic Seaman’s Federation of Greece and the London based International Trade Federation. Mr. Solar was appointed to three terms as Commissioner of the Port of Houston Authority. The Port of Houston is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and 150-plus private facilities and is ranked first in the United States in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in total U.S. tonnage. More than 200 million tons of cargo moved through the Port of Houston in 2006. The latest figures from a 2006 Economic Impact Study show the port's public and private marine terminals generate $117.6 billion and 785,049 jobs in the State of Texas.

He has served as legal counsel to foreign consulates and has participated in numerous multinational initiatives, including passage of the historic North American Free Trade Agreement. He was subsequently designated Legal Counsel to the Republic of Mexico by its Republic of Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

His international affiliations include Fellow, “The British American Project”; Founder, “The Americas Project” (a collaborative venture uniting the resources and expertise of the Greater Houston Partnership, Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and the Organization of American States); Inter-American Bar Association and Founder of the Hispanic Bar Association.

Among his economic and financial credentials, Mr. Solar has served as Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Houston for three terms; Regional Advisory Board Member of J. P. Morgan Bank and its predecessor Texas Commerce Bank, for over 18 years; Finance Council Member of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and Trustee of numerous foundations.

Mr. Solar has been a leader in the Houston business and professional community as evidenced by his service at the Greater Houston Partnership and other business organizations. The Partnership is the primary advocate of Houston's business and professional community and is dedicated to building Southwestern U.S. regional economic prosperity. Founded in 1989, the Partnership emerged from a merger of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council and the Houston World Trade Center.

With more than 60 committees, councils and task forces, the Partnership tackles a variety of issues like health care, education, air quality, economic development, transportation and world trade.

Mr. Solar is also actively involved in the private and public healthcare arena. The Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research of any location, is the largest medical district in the world. The center is located in Houston, Texas, USA. The center contains 45 medicine-related institutions, including 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and other health-related practices. All 45 institutions are not-for-profit.

His service includes membership on the Executive Committee of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; the Menninger Clinic; The University of Houston Health Law & Policy Institute; and National board member and Texas State Chairman of the Children’s Defense Fund where he has actively worked to expand healthcare for indigent children.

Mr. Solar has been recognized for his leadership in promoting public and private education and has served in various capacities to implement education reforms. His service includes local, state and national committees, boards and foundations including CHESS (Concerned Houston Encouraging Superior Schools); Member, Texas Commission on Higher Education Reform; National Director, Teach for America.

Mr. Solar has also been recognized for his pro bono legal work and civic leadership. He is a champion of human and civil rights, health, education and children’s issues.