Overview

About Tom Kirkendall

I have been involved in the planning, trial and appeal of complex business litigation matters for the past 30 years.

I have represented a wide variety of clients in complex business litigation in state and federal courts throughout Texas and the United States. My practice has involved trials and appeals in such diverse litigation areas as corporate reorganization and bankruptcy, securities and business fraud, white collar-business criminal cases, anti-trust, real estate, construction, oil and gas, insurance disputes, civil rights, First Amendment issues, defense of civil and criminal contempt matters, and defense of individuals in NCAA Infractions Committee hearings. I maintain an AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory.

After working for one of Houston's oldest downtown law firms for two years immediately after law school, I was one of the founding partners in 1981 of the Houston business litigation boutique firm that bore my name and became prominent over the next 20 years in complex business litigation matters in Houston and throughout Texas.

In 2000, I established a solo practice in my home, The Woodlands, Texas (30 miles north of downtown Houston), in which I concentrate on personalized representation of clients in complex business litigation matters and utilization of technology applications in such representation.

I was born born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa and moved to Houston in 1972, where I worked my way through college and law school. I received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in 1975 from the University of Houston and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1979 from the University of Houston Law Center.

I have been a lecturer at the University of Houston Law Center and the University of Texas Law School, and an author and lecturer for the State Bar of Texas Advanced Bankruptcy Seminar and the Houston Bar Association in various areas of business litigation and corporate reorganization law, as well as on the subject of legal research and weblogs.

Since February 2004, I have also maintained the popular Houston's Clear Thinkers weblog, which addresses issues of interest for the Houston legal, business, medical and academic communities. I frequently lecture on a variety of business litigation topics for private companies and citizen groups.

Practice Areas
Professional Experience
ExperienceYears
Owner, Law Office of Tom Kirkendall2000-Current
Managing Partner, Kirkendall & Isgur, LLP1992-2000
Partner, Maddox, Perrin & Kirkendall1981-1992
Associate, Hirsch & Westheimer1979-1981
Education
SchoolFocusDegreeYear
University of Houston - Main CampusJ.D (1979)1979
University of Houston - Main CampusPolitical Science & EconomicsB.A1975
Honors: Cum Laude
Professional Activities
ActivityOrganizationStart YearEnd Year
DirectorUniversity of Houston Law Foundation2007
Sustaining Life MemberA.A. White Association of the University of Houston Law Center 1990
Sustaining Life FellowHouston Bar Foundation1985
Life MemberUniversity of Houston Alumni Association1979
Founding Board MemberUniversity of Houston Athletics Foundation19952002
Professional Affiliations
PositionYears
Member, Fifth Circuit Bar Association1995-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas Computer and Technology Section1990-Current
Member, American Bar Association1980-Current
Member, American Bar Association Litigation Section1980-Current
Member, American Bar Association Business Law Section1980-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section1980-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas Appellate Section1980-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Law Section1980-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas Antitrust and Business Litigation Section1980-Current
Member, Houston Bar Association Litigation Section1980-Current
Member, Houston Bar Association Appellate Section1980-Current
Member, Houston Bar Association Bankruptcy Section1980-Current
Member, State Bar of Texas1979-Current
Member, Houston Bar Association1979-Current
Member, Houston Bar Association Federal Practice Litigation1979-Current

Publications

Blogs

Twitter & Social Networks

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Total Followers

75

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Total Following

Twitter / bigtkirk
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post The unintended consequences of non-lethal weapons: http://bit.ly/Ao85tt
  • bigtkirk: Robert Scardino's performance in the Allen Stanford trial reinforces the incredible depth of the Houston criminal defense bar
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post Five Myths about Free Markets: http://bit.ly/ACTy3F
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post Reinventing Physicians: http://bit.ly/yw7dxd
  • bigtkirk: Kyle Stanley has improved from 174th last season to 66th so far this season in PGA Tour strokes saved-putting: http://bit.ly/xBVGuC
  • bigtkirk: I am still trying to figure out what Spencer Levin does at the top of his backswing.
  • bigtkirk: Tim Parks lucidly explains the intransigent and complicated nature of Italian society. http://t.co/ARYUYbon
  • bigtkirk: Interesting article on the recipe for turning around an NFL franchise. http://t.co/Hwakrr0v
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post Crackberry'd: http://bit.ly/yzWMhz
  • bigtkirk: "I've been reduced to a restaurant review on Yelp" http://t.co/Ne9gYDjM
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post O Magnum Mysterium: http://bit.ly/Ad8ttT
  • bigtkirk: Mexico and the Florida Peninsula http://t.co/S27G8jBZ
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post Printing organs for clinical trials: http://bit.ly/wIk61c
  • bigtkirk: Interesting. Best MLB player value 1992-2011: http://t.co/HCvYDvcE
  • bigtkirk: LOL! “@tedfrank Had the kind of experience with Orbitz that makes me wonder why I'm not doing more plaintiff-side class action work.”
  • bigtkirk: Gary McCord tells a funny anecdote about his first encounter with Ben Hogan: http://bit.ly/zLo4y4
  • bigtkirk: New HCT blog post Dr. Lustig on obesity: http://bit.ly/zvYG9p
  • bigtkirk: Reading Univ of Houston financials. It's amazing how much high-quality education UH provides with a fraction of UT or A&M's endowment.
  • bigtkirk: @russellwing Williams deal was a stretch, but he did have only 2 seasons in 16 years with a negative RSAA before signing with the Stros.
  • bigtkirk: Livan Hernandez has given up 71 more runs over the past 3 seasons than an average NL pitcher would have given up using the same no. of outs.
  • bigtkirk: "Whether Obama can keep clear in his head that [NBA pros are] just letting him score remains unclear to the author" https://t.co/JRypthZi

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