Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, the nation's first and only full-service law firm with offices in all 50 states, welcomes Teia Kelly as a Partner in the firm's Houston office, strengthening the Commercial Litigation practice group.
Kelly's practice primarily focuses on commercial litigation within the construction, energy, and surety industries. She routinely handles construction defect and equitable adjustment claims, payment and performance bond claims, and breach of contract claims on behalf of owners, general contractors, and sureties involved in complex construction projects. She also represents clients—from various industries—in pursuit or defense of claims involving products liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, anti-trust, tortious interference and other business torts, negligence, breach of contract, breach of warranty, and the enforcement of non-compete, non-disclosure, and non-solicitation agreements, among others. She has experience litigating in both federal and state courts, as well as domestic and international arbitration forums.
"We are excited to welcome Teia to the GRSM Houston team," shared Laura De Santos, Managing Partner of the Houston office and Diversity Committee Co-Chair. "Teia's background in construction, commercial litigation, and products liability is a fantastic complement to our team. Her background is particularly advantageous for the diverse client base in Houston, which includes the oil and gas industry, medical, science, hospitality, and more."
Working closely with her clients, Kelly also regularly drafts and negotiates various commercial agreements, such as master service agreements, construction contracts for various procurement methods in both the public and private sectors, master supply agreements, AIA contracts, and corporate formation documents. Along with representing clients, Kelly is honored to serve as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association ("AAA").
Kelly is admitted to practice in Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Kelly earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and her law degree from the South Texas College of Law Houston, where she served as Note & Comment Editor of the South Texas Law Review and clerked for the Honorable Kathleen Stone in the Harris County Probate Court 1. Kelly was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2017 to 2020.
In addition to her practice, Kelly currently serves as Vice President of Events on the Board of Directors for Women Advancing Women Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at providing scholarships to women who desire to return to school to resume and complete their higher education goals.
GRSM has a national reputation for successfully managing, resolving, and trying multi-party and complex claims in every substantive area of commercial law. Our lawyers have tried or arbitrated bet-the-company cases in nearly every industry and profession. GRSM lawyers are regularly in court, try cases frequently, and have a track record of unprecedented endurance for handling multiple consecutive complex matters and lengthy trials. Our reputation enables clients to send the strong message that they are unshaken by the possibility of trial. Our broad range of industry experience gives us the knowledge to successfully present the most complicated cases to judges, juries, and mediators alike.