Advisory Board

Paul Theiss is Chairman of Mayer Brown. He has served on the firm’s Management Committee since 2009 and previously served as a co-leader of the firm’s global Corporate & Securities practice. He joined Mayer Brown in 1985. Paul practices corporate law focusing on a broad spectrum of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets work. He advises clients on both public and private mergers and acquisitions, and serves as general outside counsel to numerous companies as they develop and expand their growing businesses, advising on matters ranging from corporate governance to regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Richard Hays is the managing partner of Alston & Bird LLP. He previously served as financial partner on the firm’s management committee and chaired the Litigation & Trial Practice Group. Mr. Hays received his A.B. from Harvard University in 1982, his M.Sc. in law from Edinburgh University in 1984 as a Rotary Scholar and his J.D. in 1986 from Vanderbilt School of Law, where he was an editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.

Rafael E. Cañas is a founding partner at Sfera Legal, one of Costa Rica’s leading firms.  His 20-year legal career focuses on advising U.S. clients in investment and development activities, mainly in complex real estate transactions and development.  Rafael is also a trusted corporate counsel to multinational and free trade zone companies based in Costa Rica.  He complements his legal practice with leadership roles in several professional, business and educational organizations.

Mr. Chu is a partner of Irell & Manella LLP. He was Co-Managing Partner of the firm for two terms from 1997 to 2003 and has been a member of its Executive Committee since 1985.  He is presently Chair of the Litigation Group. After law school, Mr. Chu clerked for the Honorable Charles M. Merrill of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, joined Irell & Manella as an associate in 1977, and became a partner in 1982. Mr. Chu is a member of the Board of Directors of Public Counsel (since 1993) and its Executive Committee (since 1995). Public Counsel is the nation's largest pro bono public-interest law firm. He has previously served on the Board of Governors of the University of California, Los Angeles Foundation. Mr. Chu also has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and has served as a judge pro tem.