Andrea Tran Named To Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars List

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The honors keep pouring in for Houston attorney Andrea Tran. The 34 year old Tran will be featured in Texas Monthly Magazine’s Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Last year was she was named by the National Asia Pacific American Bar Association as America’s best Vietnamese American attorney under age 40.

Saigon born Tran is a patent attorney who relishes the excitement of helping emerging inventors. She’s the recent president of Houston’s Asian American Bar Association and this year will be tapped to chair the Asian American section of the State Bar of Texas.

What about your upbringing led you toward becoming an attorney and community leader?

"My father was a leader as a South Vietnam Marine Lieutenant Colonel. He taught me that there is honor in serving more than self. My parents gave my siblings and I the drive to excel in our education and enterprise. When I was two we left Vietnam. We lived in New Mexico, New York and came to Houston because my father had friends here from his service in the Marines and because it has a hot entrepreneurial spirit and warm temperatures that reminded us of the Vietnam we had left. I enjoyed challenges while growing up and the opportunities to go out of my way to assist others."

What was your training that brought you to where you are today?

"I completed Alief Elsik High School and then earned my BS degree at Trinity University. I’d wanted to go to medical school and worked in research at Baylor College of Medicine and then in computers for Shell Oil before starting law school at the University of Houston.

My expertise is patent drafting and filing which is fun. I work with those pushing technology beyond its currently boundaries. Today there are more new inventions in America each year every year than the year before it. I see Fortune 500 companies and their engineers from all backgrounds, which because of America’s encouragement and enterprise invent tools to best serve the free market.

What did being President of the Asian American Bar Association mean to you?

"The Asian American Bar Association of Houston is an organization of attorneys of Asian heritage committed to move the forward advancement of Houston‘s Asian American communities. AABA’s membership reflects all aspects of Houston’s Asian American legal community. In coordinating social events, continuing legal education and volunteering, AABA promotes Asian American lawyers and addresses the needs of the Houston Asian community.

When I completed law school I needed mentors to guide me to success. Being President of AABA is my way of insuring that emerging Asian American attorneys have a place to find mentors who will guide them. It’s our way as attorneys of Asian descent to support one another and help each other to do better for their companies and firms.

Why are you now taking on chairing the Asian American section of the State Bar of Texas?

"The Asian Pacific Interest Section (APIS) of the State Bar of Texas was created to be a state-wide umbrella organization to advocate and promote the common professional interests of lawyers of and interested in Asian Pacific American heritage, community, and culture. It is to me important for attorneys of Asian American heritage to have a statewide network to reach to when facing challenges across the state regarding the law, justice and occasionally injustice.

There are unique aspects to being an Asian American attorney in Texas and Texas law that have come up not only in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin but throughout the State and I want to insure Asian American attorneys know there’s a place they can turn no matter where they are."

How did the NAPABA pick you America’s best Vietnamese American attorney under 40?

"The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association annually announces its "Best Lawyers Under 40" list. From a competitive field, NAPABA selected 16 individuals to receive the honor for 2006.

To be included among these individuals who not only attained prominence in their respective legal endeavors, but exhibited truly steadfast commitment to public service, particularly in the Asian Pacific American community, is to me an unparalleled honor. They have climbed high up the ladder of success; they have tried, and won, major trials; they’ve handled complicated deals; they’ve been entrusted with the responsibility of heading national practice groups - and they have done it all at relatively early stages of their careers. To be the only Vietnamese American attorney chosen of the 16 best Asian American attorneys under 40 is a mark I’m proud to have achieved.