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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTKelly Rose Kelly Rose Throughout her distinguished 28-year career at Baker Botts, former Houston Corporate Partner Kelly Rose led a robust practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate governance. She served a diverse array of high-value clients around the globe, particularly in the energy sector, playing a pivotal role in complex transactions such as Dynegy’s takeover of Enron and its ultimate control of the Northern Natural pipeline as well as Haliburton’s prolonged effort to acquire Baker Hughes. A former co-lead of the firmwide Corporate Department, her extensive involvement in firm management allowed her to contribute to various initiatives including the Parents-in-Law and women’s networks, which she founded, and eventually as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, shaping policies that promoted diversity and pro bono efforts. Now Senior Vice President and General Counsel at ConocoPhillips, a role she accepted in 2018, Kelly spearheads a talented team of nearly 150 lawyers and support staff who handle a broad spectrum of in-house legal matters for the international oil and gas giant. Yet, amid these accomplishments, what truly fuels her passion is the privilege of mentoring aspiring lawyers and guiding them as they step into their own promising futures. The Beacon recently caught up with Kelly: What are the biggest opportunities and significant issues facing your industry that you and your team are grappling with? The vilification of the oil and gas industry is quite difficult. We provide an essential product that has been integral to society’s advancement over the last century and will be needed for many years to come. It’s hard to reconcile that reality with the “oil is evil” narrative that is firmly ensconced in mainstream media. Climate change is the issue of our age, but singling out one industry will not solve the problems. It will take governmental actions, changes in consumer preferences, technological advances and much more. While this is evolving, we need oil and gas for almost every aspect of our lives. And let’s not forget about the energy needs of the seven billion people who are not lucky enough to live in the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand and yearn for reliable and affordable energy that would enable a quality of life like ours. That said, oil and gas companies must deliver their products as responsibly as possible, including striving for near-zero methane and net-zero scope 1 and 2 emissions and eliminating non-routine flaring. Describe your experience at Baker Botts -- what you learned and how it helped you. Who are you still in touch with, and why? I had a wonderful experience at Baker Botts. I had the privilege or working with and learning from so many amazing lawyers – David Kirkland, Josh Davidson, and Walt Smith, to name just a few. What I love about Baker Botts is that it is a truly collegial and mutually supportive organization. There was never a day when I didn’t feel like my partners had my back. People were always willing to drop what they were doing and help each other. I experienced that both as an associate and as a partner. I recall a time when I was on vacation in Italy and the phone rang in the middle of the night at the farmhouse we were renting. A colleague was calling to alert me of a crisis one of my clients was experiencing. Of course, it was already being taken care of by an array of partners and associates who likely had plenty of other stuff to do that day, but she knew that I would want to help assure the client that all was under control even though I was on another continent. That kind of teamwork was a hallmark of the firm and one of the reasons that I never wanted to leave. My Baker Botts colleagues became lifelong friends. I have passed the major milestones of my life with these people, and they are as close as family. Many of my friends have retired or moved on to other places. The Baker Botts diaspora is the backbone of the legal community in Houston, and I am proud to have worked with and stayed in contact with so many of them. There are too many to name, but my dearest friends are those I first met through Baker Botts. How do you spend time outside of work – family, sports interests, boards, community service/charities? I’m the chair of the American Petroleum Institute’s Committee on Law, and active in several other general counsel organizations. My husband and I love music, and I serve on the board of the Houston Grand Opera, where we’ve been season ticket holders for almost 30 years. We also support the Mercury Chamber Orchestra and enjoy many other types of music. For fun, I play the piano and began learning the cello a few years ago. We also are big “foodies” – we love to try new foods and restaurants. We spend a lot of time with family. My son, parents and brother live nearby, and we try to have a family dinner every Sunday. My daughter is in graduate school in Boston and plans to take a job there after she graduates. I miss her a lot. Tell us what you like most about being a lawyer, and what you are most proud of. What I like most about being a lawyer is being a trusted advisor. Helping a client or a colleague think through an issue and giving practical and commercial advice is very satisfying. I have a team of very skilled lawyers, so what I am mostly doing day-to-day is giving advice based on my judgment and experience. I am also here to throw the red card, when necessary, although I have rarely had to invoke that. And I help people get things out of their system – acting as a sounding board so they don’t break my rule of “if it feels good to say it, you probably shouldn’t say it.” I am proud of so many things about my career, but the thing that makes me proudest is seeing the number of excellent lawyers whose careers I helped to nurture. It’s wonderful to see people you worked with as young associates become successful partners or go on to great in-house careers. I very much enjoy the people side of the business of law, and if I can teach someone or advance their career that is very satisfying to me. |
Kelly’s Top Ten – Advice for Lawyers Coming UpOne of my mentors at Baker Botts gave me advice that I have never forgotten – “Don’t f- up!” Important words to live by, but I try to be a little more specific when I give advice. Here’s my top ten: 1. First impressions matter. 2. Be reliable. 3. Be polite and gracious to everyone you meet. 4. Be curious. 5. Own your own career. 6. Keep in touch with people. 7. Give back. 8. Take the long view. 9. Remember that this is a great job, but it’s just that – a job. 10. Don’t F-up. |
ALUMNI NEWS
Notable Highlights
Kudos to these alums who have moved into key in-house roles.
Mahmoud Alsaif (Riyadh/Global Project) has been promoted to senior vice president, legal, at Vision Invest in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. Mahmoud joined the company as legal director in 2022.
David J. Bernal (Houston/Litigation) has been promoted to vice president, legal and interim general counsel at APA Corporation in Houston. David previously was assistant general counsel for Apache Corp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of APA.
Kathryn Betts (Dallas/Corporate) has been named associate general counsel at Ecobat, a battery producer and battery recycling company in Dallas. She was previously a counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Dallas.
James W. Bristow (Dallas/Litigation) has been named general counsel at Flix North America, Inc. in Dallas. Jim previously was the associate general counsel and directory of training and compliance at EnLink Midstream in Dallas.
R. Coleson Bruce (Austin/Global Projects) has joined Authentics.AI, a performance assessment platform, in Maryville, Tennessee, as vice president of business innovations. Previously, Coleson was the vice president of business development, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary at AustinGIS in Austin.
Erika Burkhardt (Dallas/Litigation) has been promoted to chief legal officer, franchise officer and corporate secretary at Yum! Brands, Inc. in Plano, Texas. Previously, Erika was associate general counsel at the company.
Paul Clatterbuck (San Francisco/Corporate) has joined Hennessy Funds in San Francisco as vice president, legal and Compliance.
Peter del Vecchio (Houston/Global Projects) has joined Mainsail Renewables LLC in Sugar Land, Texas, as general counsel.
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn (Washington/Litigation) has joined CropLife America in Arlington, Virginia, as president and chief executive officer.
Jude Dworaczyk (Houston/Corporate) has been promoted to corporate secretary and SEC counsel at Valero Energy Corporation in San Antonio, Texas. Jude previously was assistant corporate secretary and SEC counsel.
Austin Echols (Houston/Litigation) has joined ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska, as senior legal counsel. Austin also serves as a reserve legal assistance attorney for the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General, Eighth District, providing legal services to military service members, veterans, and their families.
Michol Ecklund (Houston/Tax) has joined Anew Climate LLC in Houston as executive vice president and general counsel. Michol previously served as chief sustainability officer, senior vice president and general counsel at Callon Petroleum in Houston.
Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Washington, D.C./Litigation) has joined Meta in Washington, D.C., as associate general counsel, Security Legal. Ben previously was a senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, in Washington.
Jessica “Laurie” Frey (London/Litigation) has been promoted to general counsel at The British Museum in London. Laurie was previously senior legal counsel for the museum.
Tai Hsia (San Francisco/Corporate) has joined LUUM in San Francisco as chief financial officer and general counsel. Tai previously was chief operating officer and general counsel at WYND, where he remains an advisor.
Christopher Hunt (Dallas/Litigation) has joined Wingstop Restaurants, Inc. in Addison, Texas, as vice president, litigation, and risk management. Chris previously was a counsel at O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Dallas.
Jennifer (Stewart) Manuel (New York/Litigation) has joined Sonic Healthcare USA in Austin, as associate general counsel. Jenny previously was general counsel and chief compliance officer at Molecular Designs in Austin.
Julie Mayo (Houston/Global Projects) has joined Sempra Infrastructure, LLC in Houston as senior vice president and chief legal officer.
Stephanie Milikh (Washington/Corporate) has been appointed chief legal officer at Elite Technology, a provider of financial management and business operations solutions, in Reston, VA. Stephanie was previously general counsel at Discovery Education, Inc. in Washington, D.C.
Christopher Graeme Miller (London/Corporate) has been named general counsel for Z & Energy Solutions at Ampol in Sydney, Australia. Previously, Chris served as general counsel of Ampol’s Convenience Retail and New Business division.
Jennifer O’Connor (Washington/Litigation) has been named vice president and general counsel at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jennifer previously was the vice president, technology and information law and policy at Northrop Grumman in Falls Church, Virginia.
David Pommerening (Washington/Corporate) is a co-founder and chief strategy officer at airPHX, a producer of a comprehensive air purification system, in McLean, Virginia.
Jason Rabbitt-Tomita (Palo Alto/Corporate) has joined Broadcom Inc., in Palo Alto as head of M&A Legal.
Jessica Bateman Pulliam (Dallas/Litigation) has joined Atmos Energy in Dallas as senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary. She succeeds fellow Baker Botts alum Karen Griffin Hartsfield (Dallas/Litigation) who has announced her retirement. Karen will remain at Atmos as a senior advisor until next year.
Jason Rabbitt-Tomita (Palo Alto/Corporate) has joined Broadcom Inc., in Palo Alto as head of M&A Legal.
Traci Ropp (San Francisco/Intellectual Property) has joined Maze Theraputics in San Francisco as associate general counsel.
Craig Schwartz (Washington, D.C./Litigation) Nominal Systems in San Jose, CA, as general counsel, and head of Information Security. Craig previously held a similar role at Covariant in Emeryville, CA.
Sarah Nelson Smith (London/Litigation) has been promoted to global head of corporate, commercial & employment at Booking.com in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and also has been named secretary to the company’s supervisory board. Sara previously was global head of corporate and commercial, legal at the company.
Andrea Stover (Austin/Global Projects) has joined Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Johnson City, Texas, as general counsel.
Alums On The Move
We are proud to share these recent achievements and career moves of those in our alumni network. Congratulations to all!
In Memoriam
We mourn the passing of these members of the Baker Botts community:
V. Reagan Burch, Houston/Litigation
Dr. Claude E. Cook Jr., Houston/Intellectual Property
Michael E. Cox, Dallas/Intellectual Property
Sam G. Croom, Houston/Tax
Bobby “Caleb” Graves, Dallas/Litigation
Hon. Laura Higley, Houston/Tax
Richard C. “Dick” Johnson, Houston and Dallas/Corporate, former Managing Partner
Jerome H. Kern, New York/Corporate
Martin “Marty” Minsker, Washington/Litigation
Bob Neuner, New York/Intellectual Property
James Gary Ulmer, Houston/Litigation
Family Additions
We welcome our very newest members to the Baker Botts family!
Jasmin Coyle Curtoni (London/Litigation) and her husband Michele Curtoni recently welcomed a daughter Penelope Grace.
Emma Stephens (Houston/Global Projects) recently welcomed her first child, a son, Owen, in March.
Shannon Turner O’Shea (New York/Litigation) and her husband Nick O’Shea welcomed a daughter Ruby in July. Ruby joins big brother Desmond, age 3.
BAKER BOTTS IN THE NEWS
INSIDE BAKER BOTTS
2024 Partnership Class
Recognizing their steadfast client service and demonstrated leadership, these twelve Baker Botts attorneys were promoted to partner in 2024.
Joyce Adetutu – Global Projects, Houston
Julie Albert – Intellectual Property, New York
Samia Broadaway – Environmental, Safety and Incident Response, Austin
Julie Cress – Environmental, Safety and Incident Response, San Francisco
Lindsay Volpenhein Cutié – Intellectual Property, Houston
Ariel House – Litigation, Austin
Alexander Kamel – Corporate Finance, Houston
Liam O’Rourke – Litigation, Houston
Carolyn Pirraglia – Intellectual Property, New York
Monica Smith – Litigation, Dallas
Clarke Stavinoha – Intellectual Property, Dallas
David Turner – Litigation, London
Major Milestones
The following partners and senior counsel marked milestone anniversaries with the Firm this year.
40 years
David Sterling – Partner, Litigation, Houston
35 years
Bill Kroger – Partner, Litigation, Houston
30 years
Stephen Dyer – Partner, Tax, Houston
Roger Fulghum – Partner, Intellectual Property, Houston
Aileen Hooks – Senior Counsel, Litigation, Austin
Derek McDonald – Partner, Litigation, Austin
Macey Stokes – Partner, Litigation, Houston
Consuella Simmons Taylor – Partner, Global Projects, Houston
25 years
Samantha Crispin – Partner, Corporate, Dallas
Derek Green – Partner, Tax, Houston
Michael Hawes – Partner, Intellectual Property, Houston
Kurt Pankratz – Partner, Intellectual Property, Dallas
Matthew West – Partner, Global Projects, Washington
20 years
Christa Brown - Sanford – Partner, Intellectual Property, Dallas
Liz Flannery – Partner, Intellectual Property, Houston
Rich Harper – Partner, Litigation, New York
Thomas Jackson – Special Counsel, Litigation, Washington
Jim Prince – Partner, Corporate, Dallas
Bart Seitz – Senior Counsel, Litigation, Washington
Daniel Steinway – Senior Counsel, Litigation, Washington
Aaron Streett – Partner, Litigation, Houston
Seth Taube – Senior Counsel, Litigation, New York
Robinson Vu – Partner, Intellectual Property, Houston
Chris Wilson – Partner, Global Projects, Houston
Fourteen Lateral Partners Joined
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Corporate |
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| Khao Do Palo Alto |
Alexander Hendry Dubai |
Travis McRoberts Dallas |
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Global Projects |
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| Matthew Gurch Washington |
Veronica Relea New York |
Rebecca Seidl Houston |
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Intellectual Property |
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| Robert Benson San Francisco |
Jeffrey Johnson Houston |
Wendy Wang Palo Alto |
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Litigation |
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| S. David Applebaum Houston |
Derek Cohen New York |
Hugh Hollman Washington |
Scott Nelson Houston |
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Tax |
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| Jason Graham Dallas |
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Job Referrals Network
We've begun a job referrals network for those seeking an in-house counsel position. If you have an opening or are looking to make a change, please reach out to <a href"mailto:d_david@bakerbotts.com?subject="Alumni">Managing Partner Danny David or Chief Client Officer <a href"mailto:catherine.zinn@bakerbotts.com?subject="Alumni">Catherine Zinn.
Pro Bono Highlight
Halliburton and Baker Botts Team Up on Will Writing Clinic
Photo Credit: Houston Volunteer Lawyers
In October, to mark Pro Bono Month, Baker Botts alum Van Beckwith (Dallas/Litigation), executive vice president, secretary and chief legal officer at Halliburton Company, and Keri Brown, Baker Botts’ partner in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, recruited a joint team of lawyers to co-sponsor with Access Health and Houston Volunteer Lawyers a will drafting clinic for 14 low-income Houston residents. The group interviewed and advised clients on the nuances of estate planning and drafted documents that will be executed in December.
“It was great to partner with the Halliburton team to provide this important service to people in our community,” said Brown. “We are enthusiastic about partnering with even more of our clients and firm alumni on these pro bono opportunities!”
Partners in Print
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Trade Secret Litigation: How Will AI Innovations Likely Be Litigated |
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European Commission Cracks Down Again on Anticompetitive Cross-Border Trade Restrictions with a Large Fine. Are Your Company’s Distribution Practices in Order? |
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What Constitutes a Valid Notice of Claim? |
More Thought Leadership
Visit our print and video library on various topics by Baker Botts lawyers.
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