By Roberto Hugo González
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition April 2018
Danny Gurwitz is a litigator who has been with Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP for almost 24 years. He is part of this leading law firm that serves McAllen and South Texas. We met in the firm’s conference room; it features a comfortable area that invites clients to feel serenity. A large and beautiful conference table that seats fourteen persons fills the center of the meeting room where our conversation took place.
Danny deals in his profession with intense and complex matters of law; this includes commercial disputes, construction defects, employer and employee disputes, insurance coverage disputes, patent infringement, and banking lawsuits. He enjoys the challenges of being an attorney. Even though he finds satisfaction representing clients fulltime in a diverse area of practice, he also makes the time to give back to his community.
His father, Mr. Gary Gurwitz, also an attorney, has been a constant role model for him. Are you a lawyer because you were inspired by your dad? “Probably. I can’t tell you that I ever really wanted to do something else.” He continued, “But you know what a person sees and hears about all the time is kind of what they gravitate toward, and I probably argued a lot when I was a kid and just naturally moved into being a lawyer.”
Danny recognizes his father is an excellent attorney; being around him so much has made a difference for him. There’s no regret in choosing your career? “No; though, I would love to be able to work a lot less and make a lot more money, just like most people,” he said smiling.
He wholeheartedly follows in his parents’ footsteps in the area of serving his community. He said that “both mom and dad are champions in that field.” In a way, that’s an inspiration that grew a desire in him to make a difference.
Danny’s community service activities are numerous: he is a board member of the City of McAllen’s EB-5 Regional Center; a member of the City of McAllen’s Blue-Ribbon Committee for amateur sports facilities; and a member of the City of McAllen’s Convention Center and Performing Arts Center Advisory Board. He is vice-president of the Make a Wish Rio Grande Valley Chapter. He also served six years on the Executive Committee of the University of Texas Law Alumni Association; as a Past-President of the Hidalgo-Starr Texas-Exes; as a Trustee and Chairman of the Museum of South Texas History; as a board member and Chairman of the City of McAllen Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; as a board member for the McAllen Chamber of Commerce; and as President of Temple Emanuel.
Danny said, “I have been on the Make a Wish Foundation Rio Grande Valley board for five years, and I’m currently in the City Performing Art Center and Convention Center Advisory Board.”
In addition to his community service, Danny has been recognized and named as a Texas Rising Star, and subsequently named as a Texas Super Lawyer, an award by Thompson Reuters, and published by Super Lawyers/Texas Monthly magazine.
Danny has also been part of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, based in Weslaco, for the last fifteen years as a board member; this year he became the Chairman of the Partnership. “Being Chairman of the RGV Partnership means working together to advance the prosperity of the Rio Grande Valley under ‘One Mission, One Voice’,” he expressed.
As Danny leads the RGV Partnership, an entity recognized for their essential advocacy for the region, he tells Texas Border Business that as a team, they drive advancement in the Rio Grande Valley by unifying stakeholders in the spirit of collaboration and regional progress.
“The partnership is designed, and its purpose is to advocate for any issues that would enhance the prosperity of the region’s people and businesses.” He said, “That includes Hidalgo, Starr, Cameron, and Willacy Counties. There can be a variety of things like roads, bridges, seaports, land ports of entry, and other infrastructure needs such as water and electric utilities, and anything that would enhance anybody’s ability to do business in the Valley or the quality of life in the Valley.”
Danny emphasized that the partnership does not focus on a particular industry, their effort is to cover it all. “We try very hard to cover the region and stay away from the Friday night mentality of choosing one city or one county over another.” He said, “We’re not a referee; but, when we advocate for something, it’s for the region. That’s the best way to describe it.”
Some of the activities the partnership works on require they even go out of Texas. Recently, the RGV Partnership promoted a trip to WashingtonD.C., intending to educate and advocate for the region with many legislators and members of the executive branch who are not familiar with the tip of Texas. He said that about 40 people from the Valley made the trip to Washington for three days. “We were with the Border Trade Alliance and visited with congressmen, agency heads, and United States senators to get the message out about the border region to folks who may not be aware how important it is,” Danny stated. The RGV Partnership’s work is appreciated, having a U.S. Senator mingle with the group is a sign that they have done their job.
Danny pointed out that, on Friday, January 12, 2018, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered the keynote remarks at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s ‘State of the Congress Address.’ The senator discussed the Senate’s accomplishments in 2017 and his legislative agenda for the coming years with a focus on legislative issues that affect the Valley region especially.
During the ceremony, Sen. Cornyn was presented with the RGV Partnership’s Champion of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas Award. The occasion is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to have access to an influential, distinguished, and active politician like Sen. Cornyn, which is vital for the region. Members of the partnership know it, but they do not brag about it.
“This was the only ‘State of Congress’ address he is giving in Texas,” Danny said. “I think the recognition of him coming to the Valley and not some larger metro area like Houston or Dallas to do that, is important.” He continued, “He was candid in his comments about the difficult political situation in Washington and certainly knows the importance of the border’s issues, and he is advocating for those issues.”
The partnership is always ready to make a connection with individuals that can, at a given time, help the region. Last month, on March 20th, Kevin K. McAleenan was sworn in, as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Danny said that Commissioner McAleenan came to visit the sector headquarters in Edinburg. “The partnership didn’t host it, but we were participants in it. McAleenan had breakfast with us; that is where we could express to him the issues we’re facing.” He continued, “As you know the safety, the crime rate, which is low in the Valley, and in particular in McAllen is at historical lows, but that’s not always what is represented in the media.”
“When you pick up the paper in Chicago, Des Moines, or Houston it seems like we’re portrayed as a lawless part of the border and everybody’s shooting each other. So, it’s important for us to talk to people like Commissioner McAleenan and let them know the rhetoric coming out of Washington is not helpful. He knows what is going on, but it’s important for us to tell them to get that message to others.”
As the agency’s chief executive, Commissioner McAleenan oversees 60,000 employees, manages a budget of over $13 billion, and ensures the effective operations of CBP’s mission to protect national security while promoting economic prosperity. Mr. McAleenan directs CBP’s three core missions, counterterrorism, border security, and trade enforcement while facilitating $4 trillion in trade, and facilitating travel of over 365 million people through U.S. ports of entry. He oversees the largest law enforcement agency and the second-largest revenue collecting source in the federal government.
In the past, there was a close relationship with Mexico and the partnership, is it the same today?“Our trips to Mexico aren’t what they used to be, mostly because of the volatile situation that currently exists on the Mexican side of the border. However, our relationships and our coordination and trying to advocate for anything that helps the border region on both sides has not stopped,” Danny stated.
He also said that the partnership still advocates for many business interests that are binational. “We’re active. Our U.S. senators and the congressmen for the Valley are aware of how important the binational trade is. Our Valley delegation in Austin is aware, too. But what we try and do is spread that message to the legislators and others who aren’t familiar with the Valley.”
The work for the partnership is monumental in many aspects, one of them, he said, “is the current polarized political climate, which is a challenge.” According to Danny, there are some legislators who are not from Texas and not from the Valley who like to come down to the Valley and do a photo op on a border patrol gunboat patrolling the river. “It looks good for their re-election campaign, but those kinds of images aren’t particularly helpful to our region.”
Danny also added that there is an attempt to create from regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) into one mega-MPO. The partnership has not taken an official position on the issue, but personally, he supports the idea—and it’s getting traction.
Recently, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) made public his thoughts on this regard, and he said, “Putting individual differences aside, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston, Austin-San Marcos, and San Antonio-New Braunfels-Seguin, have all merged to create four separate mega-MPOs to gain a competitive advantage to win over greater transportation resources to benefit their constituents.
As the Rio Grande Valley continues to experience unprecedented growth, the economic vitality of our region hinges on one simple question: Will we be satisfied with the status quo — competing against each other for the same transportation dollars? Or we will capitalize on our unique resources and merge into a powerhouse MPO and provide our residents the same competitive edge that the four mega-MPOs enjoy?”
This reporter has been in the market for almost 40 years; I can attest that leaders in the Valley have always been territorial. In your opinion do we still have the Friday Night mentality? “I think they’re coming down Roberto. I do. I don’t think it’s a factor of age. But I do think the younger generation has heard so much more often that collaboration and unity will make your voice bigger, and they hear you.” He continued, “It’s been repeated so many times that it’s starting to sink in. Like your next generation of county commissioners and city commissioners and mayors recognize that what’s good for one, most of the time is good for all.”
In the past, the partnership was led by the late Bill Summers. He fought with his heart for every issue that needed attention; be that lawsuit abuse, international bridges, or roads. Danny said, “Thank God for Bill, he worked very hard on I-69.”
“That’s the kind of thing that RGV Partnership works very hard at.” The four-county region the partnership works on; it’s a vast territory, but it does not matter for them, they support Brownsville, Harlingen, or McAllen, and everyone else the same.
What events await the Partnership in 2018? “We’ll have our RGV to DC trip, and it’s on June 11, 12 and 13, and RGV Day in Austin and a legislators’ tour of the Valley in January and February. As I said before, we take every opportunity to meet with agency heads, legislators, and legislative staff members of legislators who are from the Valley and from outside the Valley,” Danny said.
They also celebrate the Valley Honors Banquet, where the top two graduates from every high school in the whole region and their families come to a big banquet; last year they had 600 people in attendance.
The partnership also works on events jointly with the SBA and recently the Governor’s Small Business Conference. He said that Texas State Representative Armando Martinez brought to the area one unique event related to transportation and international trade where about 16 state representatives attended.
“Rep. Martinez convinced State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, the chairman of the Texas House Committee on International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs, to hold their interim meetings in Weslaco.” “In this case, the partnership hosted a reception for them the first night, and then the actual event was hosted at Knapp Medical Center’s Conference Center,” Danny said. That kind of exposure is important to the region.
Do you find satisfaction participating with nonprofits? “I do. You know some people can talk about it as a time burden, but I will say that I do feel a great deal of satisfaction in community service, in particular, both of my parents did a ton of that; for sure it has rubbed off on me, and my law firm strongly encourages it. We haven’t chosen to serve the same organizations, but hopefully all of them enhance the quality of life in the region,” Danny finalized.
