Byron C. Keeling

Direct: 832-214-9904

Fax: 832-214-9908

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation and Appeals

Professional Achievements

Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization

"Texas Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly, every year from 2007 to present

Education

University of Illinois College of Law - L.L.M., May 1994

Baylor University School of Law - J.D., February 1990

Baylor University - B.A. in History/Law, August 1988

Prior Affiliations

Holman, Keeling & York, P.C. (2001-2004)

Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson, L.L.P. (1994-2001)

Visiting Instructor, University of Illinois College of Law (1992-1994)

Law Clerk for The Honorable Sam D. Johnson, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1990-1992)

Memberships

American Arbitration Association Panel of Commercial Arbitrators

Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation

Bar Admissions

Texas by the Supreme Court of Texas

United States Supreme Court

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas

Publications

Byron C. Keeling, Fundamentals of Oil and Gas Royalty Calculation, 54 St. Mary's L.J. 705 (2023)

Byron C. Keeling & Anna E. Fredrickson, Exculpatory Clauses for Operators: When Do They Apply and What Do They Mean?, 67 Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst. § 10 (2021)

Byron C. Keeling, Contra Proferentem in the Oilpatch? The “Against the Lessee” Rule of Lease Construction, 9 LSU J. Energy L. & Res. 345-85 (2021)

Byron C. Keeling, In the New Era of Oil and Gas Royalty Accounting: Drafting a Royalty Clause that Actually Says What the Parties Intend It to Mean, 69 Baylor L. Rev. 516-573 (2017)

HBA Fee Dispute Committee, Eight Suggestions for Avoiding Fee Disputes, 45 Houston Lawyer 16-19 (2007) (credited co-author)

Byron C. Keeling & Karolyn King Gillespie, A New Era of Royalty Accounting: Practical Advice for the Payor, 44 Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Found. J. 15-33 (2007)

Byron C. Keeling & Karolyn King Gillespie, The First Marketable Product Doctrine: Just What is the “Product”?, 37 St. Mary's L.J. 1-117 (2005)

Byron C. Keeling, A New Era in Oil and Gas Royalty Accounting, Oil & Gas Financial J., Sept. 2005, at 20

Jack O’Neill & Byron C. Keeling, Valuation of Oil Royalties: From the Perspective of the Payor, 47 Inst. of Oil & Gas L. & Tax. § 6 (1996)

Byron C. Keeling, Toward a Balanced Approach to “Frivolous” Litigation: A Critical Review of Federal Rule 11 and State Sanctions Provisions, 21 Pepp. L. Rev. 1067-1160 (1994)

Sam D. Johnson, Thomas M. Contois & Byron C. Keeling, The Proposed Amendments to Rule 11: Urgent Problems and Suggested Solutions, 43 Baylor L. Rev. 647-700 (1991)

Sam D. Johnson, Byron C. Keeling & Thomas M. Contois, The Least Severe Sanction Adequate: Reversing the Trend in Rule 11 Sanctions, 61 Miss. L.J. 39-54 (1991) (also appearing at 54 Tex. B.J. 962)

David W. Holman & Byron C. Keeling, Entering the Thicket? Mandamus Review of Texas District Court Witness Disclosure Orders, 23 St. Mary's L.J. 365-422 (1991)

David W. Holman & Byron C. Keeling, Disclosure of Witnesses in Texas: The Evolution and Application of Rules 166b(5) and 215(5) of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, 42 Baylor L. Rev. 405-458 (1990)

Byron C. Keeling, Property Taxation of Colleges and Universities: The Dilemma Posed by the Use of Facilities for Purposes Unrelated to Education, 16 J.C. & U.L. 623-48 (1990)

Comment, Attempting to Keep the Tablets Undisclosed: Susceptibility of Private Entities to the Texas Open Records Act, 41 Baylor L. Rev. 203-229 (1989)

Noteworthy Cases

Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. City of Mont Belvieu, 611 F.3d 289 (5th Cir. 2010) (surety law)

Starwood Mgmt., LLC v. Swaim, 530 S.W.3d 673 (Tex. 2017)

(legal malpractice)

Lira v. Greater Houston German Shepherd Dog Rescue, Inc., 488 S.W.3d 300 (Tex. 2016) (property rights)

In re Deepwater Horizon, 470 S.W.3d 452 (Tex. 2015) (insurance coverage)

Zinc Nacional, S.A. v. Bouché Trucking, Inc., 308 S.W.3d 395 (Tex. 2010) (personal jurisdiction)

In re Marriage of Piske, 578 S.W.3d 624 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2019, no pet.) (arbitration)

Feldman v. KPMG LLP, 438 S.W.3d 678 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014, no pet.) (subject matter jurisdiction for declaratory relief)

Danish LeaseGroup, Inc. v. York Oil & Gas Mgmt., 362 S.W.3d 220 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2012, no pet.) (local action doctrine)

DeClaire v. G&B McIntosh Family L.P., 260 S.W.3d 34 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2008, no pet.) (parol evidence rule)

Swank v. Sverdlin, 121 S.W.3d 785 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2003, pet. denied) (fraud, usury and breach of fiduciary duty)

John Wood Group USA, Inc. v. ICO, Inc., 26 S.W.3d 12 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, pet. denied) (enforceability of letter of intent)