Partner

Leader of Houston Office Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Charles S. Kelley

Professional Liability, Consumer Litigation & Class Actions, Commercial Litigation

Overview

Charles Kelley is the Houston office Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice leader. With active practices in both commercial litigation and restructuring and bankruptcy, Charles regularly represents global corporations in the oil, energy, construction, engineering, manufacturing, financial services and real estate sectors, among others.

Charles has litigated commercial cases in federal and state courts for over three decades and also offers significant experience with international arbitration and other dispute resolution proceedings. He has obtained successful awards, verdicts and judgments at trial, and has facilitated the successful resolution of hundreds of other cases through settlements.

In his bankruptcy and restructuring practice, Charles has represented clients in numerous bankruptcies, workouts, adversary proceedings, evidentiary proceedings and contested matters. Charles has also represented numerous lenders, creditors and other parties in business restructurings in the energy, hospitality, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries.

Having previously worked as a mechanical engineer for Amoco Oil Company, in the capacities of project engineer, inspection engineer, and unit maintenance engineer in Amoco's largest and most complex refinery, Charles brings a commercial business approach to his practice of law.

A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, he also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin.

Experience

Representations that are public or can be disclosed include the following selection of matters in Litigation and Dispute Resolution - Construction; Bankruptcy and Restructuring – Energy; and Bankruptcy and Restructuring – Construction, Engineering, Financial Services and Real Estate.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution – Construction

  • Defense of an international bank as agent and issuing bank of a syndicated project finance loan in several lawsuits related to hundreds of million of dollars in alleged defects in construction and insurance claims related to borrower’s construction of refinery tail gas processing plants in Louisiana.
  • Defense of an international contractor on the design/build of a LNG gasification facility involving hundreds of millions of dollars in project delays and cost overrun claims against multiple contractors.
  • Defense of an engineering team in connection with claims of processing plant design deficiency and delay from an owner seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages.
  • An engineer and designer of off-shore oil platforms against a Korean company in a multi-million dollar litigation involving termination of licensing rights and unpaid construction and design costs.

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, JD, with honors
    Executive Editor, Texas Law Review, Order of the Coif
  • The University of Texas, Cockrell School of Engineering, BSME

Admissions

  • Texas

Courts

  • US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • US Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • US District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • US District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Languages

  • English

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Executive Board of Directors, Texas Appleseed
  • Board of Directors, Texas Defenders Service
  • Board of Trustees, Annunciation Orthodox School
  • Founding Member, Houston Pro Bono Initiative
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