Title: Partner
Company: Bracewell LLP
Location: San Antonio, Texas, United States
William Thaddeus Avila, Esq., partner at Bracewell LLP, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in law and finance.
With over two decades of experience to his credit, Mr. Avila has excelled in the field of law and finance. He is currently a partner at Bracewell LLP, a position he has held since 2013. In this role, he represents investment banks and lenders involved in buying bonds or making loans. Prior to this, he served as counsel at Fulbright & Jaworski from 2011 to 2013.
Mr. Avila’s career includes significant roles such as intern in the General Counsel’s Office at the United States Department of the Treasury, intern with the Senate Banking Committee in the United States Senate, and researcher and intern in the General Counsel’s Office at the Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Office of the President at the White House. He also served as a research economist for the Southwest Border Regional Commission.
Before embarking on his professional path, Mr. Avila pursued an education at the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Arts in quantitative economics with a minor in mathematics in 1977, followed by a Master of Arts in economics in 1978. He continued his academic efforts at The George Washington University Law School, where he obtained a Juris Doctor in 1981.
During his time in law school, Mr. Avila organized a co-ed softball tournament for the student body, dedicating his second year to coordinating the tournament and ensuring all participating teams were well-organized. As an intern at the White House, he conducted research on the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act during the period when Iranian students held the US Embassy hostage in Tehran. While serving as an intern at the Senate Banking Committee, he worked on important initiatives such as the Chrysler bailout, the Alaska pipeline, and the deregulation of the savings and loan industry.
A career highlight for Mr. Avila is his innovative work with the El Paso Housing Authority. Faced with renovating dilapidated public housing, he helped implement a HUD program allowing housing authorities to sell units to private investors. This approach raised $1 to $2 billion in private funding, modernizing all public housing in El Paso without displacing tenants or requiring congressional appropriations.
In addition to his primary vocation, Mr. Avila remains actively affiliated with various professional organizations. He is a member of the Business Law, Housing and Community Development Law, and Urban, State and Local Government Law Sections of the American Bar Association. His memberships also include the Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials, Association of Texas, Bexar County Bar Association, Bexar County Mexican American Bar Association, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Mexican American Bar, Municipal Advisory Council of Texas, Education Committee of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, National Hispanic Bar Association, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, State Bar of Texas, Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Texas Association of School Boards, Texas City Attorneys Association, and the Texas Municipal League.
Mr. Avila is also involved in civic activities. He contributes to the Social and Health Research Center in San Antonio, the San Antonio Sports Foundation, and the Texas Kidney Foundation. He serves as a board member for the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and is a lector at his church. Additionally, he has supported recruitment efforts for Notre Dame students.
In light of his impressive undertakings, Mr. Avila has accrued several accolades throughout his career. He has been recognized as a Lawyer of Distinction in both 2022 and 2023. His other honors include a Certificate of Appreciation from the Harlandale Independent School District in 2000, an Award of Appreciation from the Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials, and annual recognition from the Mexican American School Board Association in 1996 and 1997. He also received appreciation for establishing the “Irish Baseball Classic” from the Notre Dame Club of San Antonio and certificates of appreciation from the San Antonio Independent School District, the St. Philip of Jesus Catholic School, and the City of San Antonio City Council for service on the Small Business Advisory Panel.
Additionally, Mr. Avila’s legal services were recognized by the San Antonio Local Development Corporation, and he was named Outstanding Young Man of America in 1987. He received further recognition for his accomplishments, contributions, and support from the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women and was named Outstanding Lawyer by the Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio.
Mr. Avila holds the distinction of being the first Hispanic lawyer to venture into municipal bond law practice. His interest in this area was sparked by his public finance professor at Notre Dame, whose father was a tax-exempt bond lawyer in Chicago. He was also the first Mexican American lawyer to be listed in the Red Book of Mutual Bond Firms and to join the National Association of Bond Lawyers, a professional association dedicated to municipal bond law. His efforts have paved the way for greater diversity and representation in this specialized field.
Looking to the future, Mr. Avila is passionate about his work and considers it more than just a job. He is determined to remain active in his field, continually paving the way for innovations. To him, success is not merely a final destination but a continuous process of growth and improvement.
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