Sir Allen Who? Stanford not on Houston's radar

"Stanford has approximately 500 employees in Houston," spokeswoman Christina Garza wrote in an e-mail. "That's 3/10 of one percent of all employees in the financial services/banking sector in Houston and less than 2/100 of one percent of all employees in the region."

Stanford Executive Director Jay Comeaux, a polo lover, is the company's public face in Houston, attending charity functions and appearing as a bold-faced name in society columns.

SIR ALLEN

The company has a quirky, insular culture. Employees are required to wear a lapel pin bearing the firm's ubiquitous eagle and shield logo. Company publications are peppered with devotional mentions of "Sir Allen," a reference to the title given to him in 2006 by Antiguan authorities, not the Queen of England.

The company's two executive buildings are in the same Galleria neighborhood that is home to the city's high-end restaurants and luxury boutiques including Versace, Hermes, Chanel and Tiffany & Co.

Despite Stanford's visible presence in the area, the head of the neighborhood chamber group said he has no dealings with the firm.

"I've never had any interaction with them," said John Breeding, Uptown Houston District President. "They are not a significant player and are not involved in this area."

The squat headquarters building, set far back from a busy street, is lushly landscaped with palm trees and tropical flowers. Stanford has a 5-star corporate dining room, called the Eagle Room, used to woo potential clients.

"The Eagle Room remains my secret weapon," gushed one Stanford broker in a company publication highlighting the dining room's importance to the firm.