Joseph Blatchford another reason to be discouraged." In 1977 Blatchford founded his private law practice, Summit Communications, in the field of international trade. Blatchford has represented "flower growers in Costa Rica, cement and toy balloon producers in Mexico, leather handbag exporters in Colombia, school ring binder makers in Singapore, and petrochemicals firms in Argentina." Blatchford is also the co-founder of Caribbean/Latin American Action, a business advocacy group. In 1978 Blatchford represented 13 defectors from Reverend Jim Jones' cult who were with Congressman Leo Ryan when he was killed at the airstrip near Jonestown in Guyana. In 1989 Blatchford was the principal lawyer
Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park access. In 2003, on the 25th anniversary of his death, a special memorial tribute was held in Congressman Ryan's honor in Foster City, California. Ryan's family and friends including California State Senator Jackie Speier and Ryan's daughters were in attendance. The "San Francisco Chronicle" reported that "Over and over today, people described a great man who continually exceeded his constituents' expectations." Towards the end of the memorial service, parents of those who had died in Jonestown stood in honor of the congressman. After the service had concluded, mounted police escorted the family and friends into Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park.