Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP

Ambassador Thomas S. Foley advises clients on matters of legal and corporate strategy. He is currently the Chairman of the Trilateral Commission.

In addition to being a partner at Akin Gump, Ambassador Foley is also a senior advisor at AG Global Solutions, a joint venture of Akin Gump and First International Resources, Inc. focusing on strategic communications and problem-solving for corporations and sovereign governments, particularly in complex cross-border matters.

Prior to rejoining the firm in 2001, Ambassador Foley served as the 25th U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Before taking up his diplomatic post in November 1997, Ambassador Foley served as the 49th speaker of the House of Representatives. He was elected to represent the state of Washington's Fifth Congressional District 15 times, serving his constituents for 30 years from January 1965 to December 1994.

Mr. Foley served as majority leader from 1987 until his election as speaker on June 6, 1989. From 1981 to 1987 he served as majority whip, the number three position in the House Leadership. He also was a Chairman of both the House Democratic Caucus and the Democratic Study Group.

During his years in Congress, Mr. Foley was a member of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. He served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

As majority leader, Mr. Foley served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Budget, the Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, and as Chairman of the House Geneva Arms Talks Observer Team.

In 1995, following his career in Congress, Ambassador Foley joined Akin Gump as a partner.

Mr. Foley has served on a number of private and public boards of directors, including the Japan-America Society of Washington. He also served on the board of advisors for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and on the board of directors for the Center for National Policy. He was a member of the board of governors of the East-West Center and is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Before his appointment as ambassador, he served as chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.

Mr. Foley is an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire. He has been awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and also is a member of the French Legion of Honor. In 1996 the government of Japan conferred upon him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Paulowina Flowers, in recognition of his service to the U.S. House of Representatives and the important impact he had in facilitating harmonious U.S.-Japan relations and promoting understanding of Japan in the United States.

Mr. Foley is a native of Spokane, Washington, and a Graduate of the University of Washington and its School of Law. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Mr. Foley is married to the former Heather Strachan. They reside in Washington, D.C., and Spokane, Washington.