Kelly Sandill

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.