Practice Expertise

  • Arbitration and Mediation
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction and Engineering Litigation

Areas of Practice

  • Arbitration and Mediation
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction and Engineering Litigation
  • Appeals
  • Energy
  • Energy and Environmental Litigation
  • Energy Litigation
  • Fiduciary Litigation
  • First Amendment and Free Speech
  • Government Relations
  • Issues and Appeals
  • Litigation
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil & Gas Disputes
  • Oil, Gas and LNG
  • Pipeline
  • Public Lands
  • Qui Tam
  • White Collar Defense and Internal ...
  • White Collar, Regulatory Defense and ...
  • View More

Profile

Kelly is a problem solver and a compelling courtroom advocate. 

Kelly handles high-stakes court proceedings involving business and governmental affairs. She approaches every case with focused intensity and a keen understanding of her clients’ long-term goals. Clients particularly value Kelly’s deep knowledge of courtroom procedure, her skill in distilling complex facts and legal arguments, and her penchant for developing creative legal strategies.

Kelly’s cases frequently involve claims for emergency and injunctive relief and attract media attention, including coverage in the Houston Chronicle, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. She frequently tackles cutting-edge legal issues of first impression in Texas. She has extensive experience concerning internet liability, first amendment rights, local governmental actions, the validity and application of state statutes, and state and federal constitutional issues, as well as complex commercial disputes. She also counsels clients on crisis management and internal investigations, and assists with local and state legislative matters as a registered lobbyist in Texas.

Kelly’s dedication to her clients has garnered her numerous accolades. She has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer & Rising Star for nine consecutive years, has repeatedly been named a Local Litigation Star in the national Benchmark Litigation rankings, and was honored as one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2017 and a Premier Woman in Law in 2020. She is a Fellow of both the Texas Bar Foundation and the Houston Bar Foundation and is a member of the Texas Bar College.

Kelly is also known for her commitment to diversity, equality, and the advancement of underserved communities. She serves as a co-chair of the firm’s Women Lawyers Subcommittee and has been recognized for her pro bono legal work to support the rights of same-sex couples. An involved member of the Houston community, she is a supporter of numerous local initiatives and philanthropic causes and is married to Judge R.K. Sandill of Texas’s 127th Civil District Court.

Representative Experience

Public /Constitutional Law Experience

  • Trial and appellate counsel for Texas’s largest municipal police officers’ union in action to invalidate unconstitutional city charter amendment requiring “parity” between the compensation of fire fighters and police officers, in conflict with state law.
  • Trial and appellate counsel for largest Texas municipality in action to validate city ordinance adopting increase in water and sewer service rates pursuant to the Texas Expedited Declaratory Judgment Act.
  • Trial counsel for largest Texas county in Section 1983 action by law enforcement personnel alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in connection with undercover law enforcement sting operations
  • Appellate counsel for largest Texas county in action by the Texas Attorney General concerning alleged violation of Texas vote-by-mail statute.
  • Lead lawyer for coalition of energy companies in developing and supporting passage of state legislation protecting two-way vessel traffic in the Port of Houston.
  • Trial counsel for tax-increment-funded local development association in action challenging constitutionality of supporting tax increment.
  • Trial counsel for Texas municipality in action alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act in connection with change from single-member city council districts to mixed single-member and at-large system.
  • Trial counsel for largest Texas county in Section 1983 action alleging termination of contract in retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.
  • Trial counsel for metropolitan transit system in action alleging violation of contract with voters over building of light rail.
  • Trial and appellate counsel for largest Texas public school system (seventh largest in the nation) in action to enjoin new school construction based on allegations of improper use of public bond funds.
  • Trial and appellate counsel for third largest county in the United States in action alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act in connection with redistricting of electoral maps.
  • Trial counsel for Houston area sports and community venue district in action by bond insurer to compel increase in rate of taxes imposed as revenue source for outstanding public bonds.

Business Litigation

  • Trial and appellate counsel for global social media company in defense of multiple actions alleging statutory and common law liability for content published by users of platform.
  • Trial counsel for banking institution in action against former executives for usurpation of corporate opportunities.
  • Trial counsel for investment fund manager in action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and negligence in management of Texas limited partnership.
  • Trial counsel for oil refiner and marketer in action by the production subsidiary of the national oil company of Mexico alleging conversion and conspiracy in connection with the import, purchase, and sale of natural gas condensate allegedly stolen by Mexican drug cartels.
  • Trial and appellate counsel for oil and gas company in federal court action by Ukrainian company relating to dispute over joint development of natural gas fields in Ukraine.

Internal Investigations

  • Counsel for school district in internal investigation concerning misuse of district property.
  • Counsel for community college district in internal investigation of campus shooting incident.
  • Counsel for local governmental entity in internal investigation of sexual harassment claims against government contractor.
  • Counsel for school district in internal investigation of ethics and procurement matters.
  • Counsel for local governmental entity in internal investigation of suspected employee theft of governmental property.
  • Counsel for pipeline manufacturer in internal investigation of fatality accident.
  • Counsel for energy sector services company in connection with government investigation relating to federal export and trade regulations.

Education
BA, Mercer University, Political Science, 1998

Areas of Practice

  • Arbitration and Mediation
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction and Engineering Litigation
  • Appeals
  • Energy
  • Energy and Environmental Litigation
  • Energy Litigation
  • Fiduciary Litigation
  • First Amendment and Free Speech
  • Government Relations
  • Issues and Appeals
  • Litigation
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation
  • Natural Gas
  • Oil & Gas Disputes
  • Oil, Gas and LNG
  • Pipeline
  • Public Lands
  • Qui Tam
  • White Collar Defense and Internal Investigations
  • White Collar, Regulatory Defense and Investigations

Professional Career



Articles

  • AK Migration: Federal District Court Says "No" to Forum Selection Bylaws
  • Recent Supreme Court Opinions Change the Landscape of Governmental Immunity
  • AK Migration: Rekindling an Old Flame: The Supreme Court Revives Its 'Love Affair With Environmental Litigation,' in Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services
  • Delaware Supreme Court Reinvigorates the Implied Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
  • Omnicare Clarifies Standards for Liability for Statements of Opinion Under Section 11
  • Texas Public Information Act
  • State and Local Governments Grapple with Challenges of New Limits on Antitrust State Action Immunity
  • U.S. Supreme Court Refines Equal Protection Analysis in Redistricting Cases
  • United States Supreme Court Round-Up, Key Opinions from 2013 to 2014 and Upcoming High-Profile Business Disputes, Straightline
  • The Essentials of E-Discovery (Top Five), Straightline
  • The Roberts Court: Does Business Have Friends in High Places?
  • Guarding The Company Wallet: Trends in Insurance Law, Straightline
  • Rekindling an Old Flame: The Supreme Court Revives Its “Love Affair With Environmental Litigation” in Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, 37 HOUS. L. REV. 955, 956
  • The legal glass ceiling is still very much intact, but women can crack it with this six-point plan, Women Worth Watching

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