Charles S. Kelley

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 twenty four years 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.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Charles been trying commercial cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States for twenty four years. He offers deep experience with bench and jury trials, as well as with arbitrations and alternative dispute proceedings. His experience includes numerous class action lawsuits, including cases in which he was able to defeat class certification efforts quickly and efficiently. He has also negotiated the successful resolution of hundreds of other cases by crafting suitable settlements that are beneficial to his clients.

Charles’ experience includes class actions and cases involving complex claims regarding federal and state statutes, securities, breach of contract/warranty, trade secrets, tortuous interference, fraud, malpractice and other common law and commercial claims. His experience is particularly deep with disputes involving construction, energy, real estate and insurance and surety coverage, and in the federal and state courts of Texas and the Southern United States.

In the first few months of 2015, Charles completed a full evidentiary arbitration involving an international multi-lingual drilling case regarding a Nicaraguan project that was litigated in New York, and, in April, he will be going to trial in Houston for a dispute involving a Terminal Storage agreement between two, international companies.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring: Charles has represented various secured and unsecured financial institutions, administrative agents, debtors, trade creditors, and general creditors, such as international banks, lending institutions, private equity and hedge funds, energy service companies, exploration and production companies, real estate developers, special servicers for securitized financings, industrial businesses and other commercial entities, in numerous bankruptcies, workouts, adversary proceedings, evidentiary proceedings and contested matters.

Importantly, Charles has also represented numerous lenders, creditors and other parties in business restructurings in the energy, hospitality, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries, that have occurred outside of any formal proceedings, including under the US Bankruptcy Code or other domestic or international laws.

In 2014, Charles’ work as Lead Debtor’s counsel for ATP in one of the largest offshore exploration and production company bankruptcies was well covered in the media as this matter involved more than $3 billion in energy assets.