Our Team

Brian Nguyen

Founding and Managing Partner

Fan Chen

Founding and Managing Partner

Fan Chen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Nguyen & Chen, LLP, where he leads the Firm’s Employment & Immigration Division and Corporate Division. With extensive legal experience, Fan has represented many companies and individuals in a wide range of immigration, employment, and corporate legal matters.

Fan is frequently invited to speak on various employment and immigration subjects, such as HR training, I-9 Audit, and Wage & Hour. He was invited to speak at Painter & Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) Texas Chapter Annual Forums and Houston Bar Association CLE seminars. The corporate clients represented by Fan comprise a broad range of industries, including oil and gas, construction, steel manufacturing, food processing, sanitation, grocery chains, hospitality, medicine, and engineering. His corporate clientele includes the world’s largest special steel manufacturer, one of the largest swimming pool construction service companies in the U.S., and the largest sucker rod manufacturer in China.

Education

• J.D., The University of Houston Law Center.
• B.A., Foreign Affairs College (Beijing, China).

Education & Court Admissions

• State of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Highlights of Fan’s extensive legal experience include:

• He has advised employers on hiring and firing decisions, wage and hour issues, employment policies and handbooks, restrictive covenants, general corporate matters, and mergers and acquisitions.
• He has conducted comprehensive I-9 audits (reviewed and corrected more than 15,000 I-9 forms), responded to dozens of Notices of Inspections, and negotiated with ICE field offices in Texas, Washington, Iowa, etc.
• He has assisted hundreds of individuals in obtaining working visas (including H-1B, H-2A, O-1, TN) and employment-based permanent residency (including EB-1A “Alien of Extraordinary”, EB-1B “Outstanding Professor/Researcher”, EB-1C “Multi-National Executive/Manager”, EB-2 “National Interest Waiver”, and EB-2 PERM Labor Certification).

Affiliations

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
• Legal Advisor of U.S. China Educational, Economic & Cultural Foundation (UCEECF)

Anissah Andang

Managing Partner

Anissah Marie Andang is a Managing Partner at Nguyen & Chen, LLP. Drawn by the Firm’s commitment to providing a full range of legal services to its clients, Anissah joined the Firm’s litigation and criminal defense practices in early 2013. Since then, her role at Nguyen & Chen has been elevated to oversee an active litigation docket for civil matters, ranging from construction to business disputes, torts, employment, and commercial litigation. Anissah also serves as Director of the Firm’s family law division, where she helps families navigate through complex custody, divorces, adoptions, and child support issues. In addition to her civil and family litigation practices, Anissah heads the Firm’s estate planning and bankruptcy divisions.

As a hybrid leader, she has been recognized for her unique skill set and ability to assist clients through aggressive, diligent representation over a broad spectrum of practice areas in both state and federal courts. Armed with this diverse legal background, Anissah has successfully first-chaired and second-chaired several jury trials and bench trials throughout Texas.

Soon after receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, Anissah began honing her legal skills at various small to mid-sized civil litigation law firms. During her tenure at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Anissah had the honor of serving the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division, where she worked to establish and enforce child support orders. She also served as a student attorney for the Clinical Legal Studies Program, representing indigent clients in cases involving Guardianship, Wills & Probate/Estate Administration, and Landlord-Tenant.

Although Anissah has called Houston home for many years, she also has roots in Yonkers, New York and Honolulu, Hawaii. She is licensed to practice law in all courts of the State of Texas,  the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.  Anissah is also active in the legal community as a member of the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Houston Trial Lawyers Association, and Texas Trial Lawyer Association.

COURT ADMISSIONS

• State of Texas
• United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Western District of Texas

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Texas Trial Lawyers Association
• Houston Trial Lawyers Association
• Houston Bar Association
• Texas Exes Life Member
• Asia Society

EDUCATION

• Juris Doctorate, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 2011

Bachelor of Arts, The University of Texas at Austin, 2005

Henna Ghafoor

Partner

Henna is no stranger to embracing diversity while maintaining her own identity.  A life-long resident of New Orleans, LA, Henna was educated in the Jesuit tradition from high school through law school.  However, being the youngest daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she remained connected with the culture and traditions of her ancestors.

Since beginning her journey in 2005, practicing contract, medical malpractice, general tort and disaster litigation, Henna has become well-versed in motion, trial and appellate practices at state and federal levels.  Henna prides herself on winning the unwinnable case, and she has a proven track record in her fields of practice.  This, in part, is attributable to Henna’s unique ability to understand the needs of clients and to translate those needs into RESULTS.

In 2006, Henna’s family relocated to Houston, and this great city soon became her second home.  It became official when Henna subsequently married and relocated here herself.  Henna was welcomed into the Nguyen & Chen family in 2014, as a Senior Litigation Associate, where she thrived utilizing her expertise in civil litigation while further developing her professional portfolio. After less than two years at the firm, Henna was made Partner.

In addition to being a premier litigator at the Firm, Henna also heads the Firm’s Personal Injury Division.  Henna’s motto is that, “If you don’t believe in your case, no one will.”  As such, she is fully invested in every case she takes on.

As an added bonus to Houston, which boasts a rather large South Asian population, Henna is also proficient in spoken Urdu and Hindi languages.

In her spare time, Henna enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, dancing, and taking five minutes per day to think about nothing.

EDUCATION

Loyola University New Orleans, School of Law         

Degree:Juris Doctor

Certifications: Civil and Common Law

Loyola University New Orleans

Degree:Bachelors in Business Administration

Major:International Business

Minor:Pre-Law

ADMISSIONS

AFFILLIATIONS

Earvin Chionglo

Position

Earvin is a Partner at Nguyen & Chen. He was born in the Philippines and later immigrated to the United States in 1996. After graduating as Valedictorian of his high school class in Houston, TX, he went on to study biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin and law at the University of Houston Law Center.

During his time in law school, Earvin gained valuable court experience during his clerkship with Judge Caroline Baker of the 295th District in Harris County, Texas, and significant consumer and commercial law experience from his editor position in the Journal of Consumer and Commercial law.

Earvin now utilizes his vast knowledge to assist clients primarily in matters of immigration, corporate, and employment law. His immigration practice focuses on obtaining employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visas for corporate clients and professionals including H-1b, L-1, PERM, E-2, E-3, EB-1C, EB-1A, NIW, TN, and so forth. Earvin also assists corporate clients with extensive I-9 audits as well as individuals with obtaining family-based visas. Earvin’s corporate practice ranges from the creation of new business entities all the way to facilitating acquisitions of companies and entities. His employment practice involves counseling employers on employment agreements, company handbooks, confidentiality and non-compete agreements, compensation issues, and so forth.

Earvin is fluent in Tagalog. In his spare time, Earvin enjoys photography and running marathons.

EDUCATION

• J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2012
• BB.A., The University of Texas at Austin, 2009

COURT ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas

AFFILIATIONS

• Asian American Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Brain Gargano

Position

Brian Gargano has recently joined our firm as a member of the civil and commercial litigation, labor and employment and China practices. Brian was previously a partner at an AM top 100 law firm in Houston. An experienced litigator with a perfect record of defense verdicts in the nine jury trials he has first chaired, Brian represents companies of all sizes and industries in both labor and employment-related matters – wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, ADA access, trade secret litigation, wage and hour actions- intellectual property-related matters-patent, trademark and copyright litigation- general litigation matters- and data privacy and cybersecurity matters. He has defended clients in state and federal courts in Texas and New York, before state and federal governmental agencies, and in various state and federal appellate courts.

Prior to moving to Texas, Brian practiced in New York litigating on behalf of healthcare providers and insurance companies in federal and state courts as well as before regulatory agencies. He also advised clients on risk management, state and federal regulatory and compliance issues, billing, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement procedures.

Trained as a computer scientist, Brian applies his analytical and rational mind to the practice of law. Clients have benefited from his knowledge of the sciences in his work on intellectual property, complex commercial litigation, data privacy, and technology matters. He has also lectured extensively on electronic records and best practices in information privacy and data security.

James Ou

Senior Counsel

Jiangang (“James”) Ou is an International Partner with N&C and co-head of the firm’s fast growing China Practice. He advises clients in disputes and transactions that concern the Sino-US market. He has extensive experience in complex cross-border litigation, international arbitration, government and internal investigations, PRC information compliance counseling, and litigation in the Chinese courts.

A seasoned China practitioner, Mr. Ou counsels US and multinational corporations and individuals on sensitive matters relating to foreign investment in China and the PRC regulatory environment.  He advises international clients on risk management for their China operations, particularly as such relates to:

• China-related FCPA
• PRC Official and Commercial Bribery
• Commercial litigation and Chinese court procedure
• PRC seated arbitration
• Complex fraud
• Trade secret theft and infringement
• Unfair competition
• Products liability

Mr. Ou devotes a significant portion of his practice to representing Chinese companies and individuals before US courts and international and domestic tribunals.  As a native speaker of Mandarin and with more than one decade of experience practicing law in China, Mr. Ou is able to interpret and explain the special issues that often arise in China-related litigation in the US.  He also represents Chinese companies and individuals in criminal and administrative proceedings before US government agencies.
Mr. Ou earned his law degrees from East China University of Political Science and Law and University of Houston Law Center. He’s admitted in China and the State of New York.

David Armbruster

Senior Associate

David Paul Armbruster, a native of St. Louis Missouri, joined Nguyen & LLP in 2015 to provide litigation assistance in both civil and criminal matters.

Upon graduating from High School, David enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and serve there for the next 20+ years.  While on active duty, David served in both Operation Desert Shield/Storm and the Global War on Terror.  While in the Corps, David pursued his Associate and Bachelor Degrees from Saint Leo University graduating cum laud.  He also met and married one of Texas’ finest daughters and together, they decided to retire in Texas.  After some prodding from friends and families, David decided to pursue his law degree and attended law school at South Texas College of Law Houston.  David, while working full time and attending school, was recognized for outstanding academic achievement, being placed on the Dean’s List and as a recipient of an Academic Merit Scholarship.  In addition to juggling a demanding class schedule and profession employment, David was also the Treasury for the Military Students Association of South Texas College of Law.  Further, David interned with the Fort Bend District Attorney’s office while in his final year of law school, assisting the Assistant District Attorney’s with case and trial preparation.

Upon graduating and passing the Bar examination, David took a position as an Assistant District Attorney in Nueces County, Texas.  While an Assistant District Attorney, David served as prosecutor on a myriad of cases ranging from all classes of misdemeanor to all levels of felony including murder. Here, David was recognized for his superior performance by the Nueces County Coalition for Crime Victim’s rights. After a successful stint in Nueces County, David jumped on an opportunity to join the dedicated professionals at Nguyen & Chen.  While at Nguyen & Chen, David has successfully represented clients in a plethora of criminal cases including simple traffic violations, assault family violence charges, criminal trespass, DWI, assault on a public servant, misdemeanor and felony theft charges, and aggravated sexual assault of a child.  In addition, David carries a full civil litigation docket.

David Paul Armbruster is married to the former Florencia Gonzales of Houston, Texas and together they have 3 children, Sylvia, David, and Alexandria.  David and Florencia have worked hard to instill in their children a love of County, compassion for their fellow man, and a strong work ethic.

Education:

• St. Leo University, A.A. & B.A. cum laude 2005
• South Texas College of Law Houston, J.D. 2011

Court Admissions:

• State Bar of Texas

Affiliations:

• American Bar Association
• American Legion

Hongbin Bao

Senior Counsel

Mr. Hongbin Bao is Senior Counsel and Co-head of China Practice for Nguyen and Chen, LLP. He has extensive experience in representing China/U.S. based multinational companies in connection with their China-related transactions, compliance and corporate governance, and dispute resolution.

In particular, Mr. Bao has assisted dozens of multinational and Chinese state-owned energy companies with their global M&A and project development in the areas of oil and gas and mining. Furthermore, Mr. Bao has advised a series of Chinese aviation companies on global procurement of aviation systems and joint development of aviation technologies. Mr. Bao also counselled several real estate companies on purchase of land, construction of commercial and residential buildings, project financing, M&A, and lease in China. In addition, Mr. Bao’s in-house experience as General Counsel in China and the United States equips him with the expertise in representing his corporate clients in a cost-effective way from commercial perspective.

Overall, Mr. Bao started his practice with over 5-year general practice experience in China. Then Mr. Bao came to the United States to study law. Upon graduation with J.D. degree from Indiana University McKinney Law School, Mr. Bao started his cross-border legal career as an associate in a China-boutique firm in Houston, and then in a New York based international law firm’s Beijing office. Later, Mr. Bao served as a partner in a leading Chinese securities law firm.

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• State of California;
• China (Inactive)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

• California Bar Association

EDUCATION:

• J.D., Indiana University McKinney School of Law 2007
• B.A., University of International Relations, China, 1994

Richard Hill

Position

I am Richard P. Hill. I am a trial attorney. I represent injured people hurt in truck and car crashes, job accidents, catastrophic injuries and accidents arising from negligence and dangerous products. I also represent those seeking redress from and against insurance companies. I am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law (by T.B.L.S.) which I attained in 2005. I have tried many cases to jury verdict in state and federal courts. Preparation, execution and persistence are keys to winning. I earned my law degree from St. Mary’s University, School of Law in San Antonio in 1988. I received a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston in 1985. I am a proud Dad of three and I enjoy the outdoors.

Randall Towns

Position

Randall Towns is an associate attorney at Nguyen & Chen, LLP, whose practice focuses on business litigation and corporate law. As a military brat, he grew up in Alabama, Florida, and Indiana, before settling in Houston at the age of 15. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Houston with honors. While at the University of Houston, he served in the Student Government Association and competed in Speech and Debate, eventually winning a debate national championship in 2013.

Realizing his passion was to help people, he decided to attend law school at South Texas College of Law. In law school, Randall excelled in his studies and achieved a cumulative GPA that placed him within the top ten percent of his class. He was a recipient of a myriad of awards and scholarships, including the South Texas Academic Merit Scholarship, Outstanding Advocate Scholarship, and the Excellence in Evidence Award. Naturally, Randall’s hard work and dedication also allowed him to receive the Cali Award for achieving the highest grade in several of his law school courses, including Federal Civil Procedure, Federal Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, and Texas Martial Property.

In addition to his academic success, he was active in student organizations, serving as a member of the Texas Journal of Business Law, a Langdell Scholar, and a varsity advocate for the top-ranked South Texas Advocacy Program. He became a moot court national champion, was inducted into the Order of the Barristers, and received the Dean’s Outstanding Advocate Award. Randall also gained practical legal experience by interning for several law firms in the Houston area, including two of the top plaintiff’s firms in the nation, where he acquired extensive litigation skills.

After law school, Randall joined Nguyen & Chen, LLP. He maintains an active litigation docket and has worked on a vast number of different cases, ranging from breach of contract to employment disputes. He is involved in all stages of litigation, utilizing his research, writing, and oral advocacy skills to assist clients from discovery through trial. Randall’s litigation experience has also provided him with the necessary foresight to avoid potential future conflict when preparing entity formation documents and merger and acquisition agreements for the firm’s corporate clients.

EDUCATION

• J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, May 2018
• B.S., University of Houston, May 2014

COURT ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas

Kelvin Luo

Position

Houmin (Kelvin) Luo joined Nguyen & Chen LLP in December 2016. He is an international partner of Nguyen & Chen LLP. Kelvin is the head and in charge of Nguyen & Chen LLP’s EB-5 practice. Before joining Nguyen & Chen LLP, he worked for Xie Law Offices LLC as the head of its EB-5 department for five years. Kelvin is an expert in the field of EB-5 related laws and regulations. Kelvin graduated from East China University of Politics and Law with a LLB degree in 2001. He obtained a LLM degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. He practiced law in China for six years since 2001 and worked for Shanghai Chengda Law Firm, Zhong Lun Law Firm (Shanghai) and HHP Attorneys-At Law successively. Kelvin’s rich practice experience gives him a thorough and accurate understanding of the source of funds of EB-5 clients. He always uses his expertise to help EB-5 clients find a legitimate path to explain their lawful source of funds. Kelvin has successfully serviced more than 1000 EB-5 clients clients.

EDUCATION

• LLM, The University of Texas School of Law, 2008
• LLB, East China University of Politics and Law, 2001

ADMISSIONS

• New York State
• China (Mainland)

AFFILIATIONS

• American Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association

Feng Shan

Position

Mr. Feng Shan’s practice primarily focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the areas of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, semiconductors, polymers, ink compositions, nutrition, fuel cells, solar cells, and LCD and OLED technologies. He has prosecuted hundreds of patent applications for a wide range of clients, including LG Group companies, Sun Chemical, Solidia Technologies, Rutgers University, Dongbu Electronics, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Mr. Shan has experience in patent litigation (including trial experience), appeals before Patent Trial and Appeal Board, reissue applications, and Ex Parte reexamination. He counseled clients on intellectual property issues, such as patentability, validity, inventorship, and filing strategies, and prepared legal opinions on patentability, invalidity, infringement and freedom to operate.

Mr. Shan also has experience in corporate law. He conducted IP due diligence analysis, and assisted in the closing of the purchase of a California medical device company.

Prior to founding SZDC Law P.C., Mr. Shan practiced law at the Washington, D.C. office of Dentons US LLP for more than 8 years. Before starting his legal career, Mr. Shan was a research scientist at Pharmacia Inc. (now Pfizer) and Biogen Inc. Mr. Shan is currently a Guest Professor at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Crystal Liu

Position

Xiaozhou (Crystal) Liu comes from Nanjing, China. She came to the Houston in 2008. She holds B.S. degrees in Education from China and University of Houston. She joined Nguyen and Chen in 2013 as a legal assistant. In her capacity as Legal Assistant at Nguyen & Chen, Crystal enthusiastically applies her bilingual skills to assist clients with all manner of legal tasks. In her spare time, Crystal is especially passionate about using her bilingual skills with children in order to share with the younger generation the many facets of Chinese culture.