About the Principal

Mr. Hanson served as Assistant Regional Counsel  for the U.S. Customs Service before entering private practice in 1989.   Since that time, Mr. Hanson was an associate and then partner with the largest firms in the United States that provide services in the area of U.S. import regulation and U.S. export controls.  In November of 2001, Mr. Hanson opened his own practice in Houston Texas, centrally located to provide service throughout the U.S.

While with the U.S. Customs Service, Mr. Hanson enjoyed a wide range of responsibilities including providing assistance on audits and investigations, handling of penalty and liquidated damage claims and consultation on all aspects of Customs law, regulation and procedure.  Mr. Hanson taught the Customs Law Course for the U. S. Customs Service between 1987 and 1989 and continues to be a sought after lecturer in U. S. Customs law.  Specifically, Mr. Hanson teaches a Customs Broker Exam Preparation course and conducts in-house corporate training and regular training updates for  importers, exporters, Customhouse Brokers and their clients.    

Mr. Hanson is often called upon to conduct internal compliance reviews for importers, exporters and customhouse brokers.   In addition, Mr. Hanson assists clients in the handling of penalty or liquidated damage claims, the detention, seizure and forfeiture of merchandise and other audits, investigations and similar actions taken by the U.S. Customs Service and other governmental agencies.  Finally, Mr. Hanson assists in the development of international trade related compliance programs designed to prevent unwanted entanglements with the governmental agencies that regulate international trade.  

Since 1992, Mr. Hanson has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center   where he teaches law school courses in U.S. Import Regulation  in the fall term and U.S. Export Controls in the spring term.  In June, 2002, Mr. Hanson was elected Chair of the Texas State Bar International Law Section and is also active in numerous other law related organizations including the American Bar Association – International Law Section, the Court of International Trade Bar Association, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Bar Association.  He is also an active participant in other professional organizations including the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, the Greater Houston Partnership, the American Institute for International Steel and the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones.