Kelli Stephenson Norfleet
Biography
Kelli Norfleet represents clients in connection with business bankruptcy and insolvency law and related litigation, financings, dispositions, and other restructuring transactions. She handles both in-court and out-of-court restructurings for clients in the oil and gas, oilfield services, and electric power sectors as well as in the engineering and construction, technology, and aviation industries.
Chapter 11 debtors, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, and other parties in interest turn to Kelli for practical solutions to complex financial problems. She has represented clients in some of the largest recent Chapter 11 cases, including cases filed by J. C. Penney Co., Neiman Marcus Group Ltd., and McDermott International Inc. They appreciate Kelli’s willingness to take the time to listen and her ability to identify what’s at the heart of their matters and what result they hope to achieve. With that understanding, Kelli works with her clients and their counterparties to build consensus and produce cost-effective solutions that work for all sides.
Kelli is widely recognized for her work by legal industry publications. She was identified in a 2020 analysis by The Texas Lawbook as one of the state’s busiest bankruptcy lawyers by case assignment. She was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, 2020-2024 (Woodward/White, Inc.) for bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law.
Kelli was the subject of a 2020 Bloomberg Law “They’ve Got Next” profile, highlighting her work helping guide clients in the Rosehill Resources Inc., Southland Royalty Co., and Agera Energy LLC Chapter 11 cases. The article notes that “the nation’s most prominent corporate bankruptcy venues are increasingly seeing the name Kelli Norfleet at the bottom of legal briefs.”
Kelli Norfleet represents clients in connection with business bankruptcy and insolvency law and related litigation, financings, dispositions, and other restructuring transactions. She handles both in-court and out-of-court restructurings for clients in the oil and gas, oilfield services, and electric power sectors as well as in the engineering and construction, technology, and aviation industries.
Chapter 11 debtors, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, and other parties in interest turn to Kelli for practical solutions to complex financial problems. She has represented clients in some of the largest recent Chapter 11 cases, including cases filed by J. C. Penney Co., Neiman Marcus Group Ltd., and McDermott International Inc. They appreciate Kelli’s willingness to take the time to listen and her ability to identify what’s at the heart of their matters and what result they hope to achieve. With that understanding, Kelli works with her clients and their counterparties to build consensus and produce cost-effective solutions that work for all sides.
Kelli is widely recognized for her work by legal industry publications. She was identified in a 2020 analysis by The Texas Lawbook as one of the state’s busiest bankruptcy lawyers by case assignment. She was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, 2020-2024 (Woodward/White, Inc.) for bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law.
Kelli was the subject of a 2020 Bloomberg Law “They’ve Got Next” profile, highlighting her work helping guide clients in the Rosehill Resources Inc., Southland Royalty Co., and Agera Energy LLC Chapter 11 cases. The article notes that “the nation’s most prominent corporate bankruptcy venues are increasingly seeing the name Kelli Norfleet at the bottom of legal briefs.”
- Representation of secured suppliers of electricity and natural gas in multiple Chapter 11 cases filed by retail electric providers in the District of Delaware, the Southern District of New York, and the Southern District of Texas.
- Representation of Rosehill Resources Inc. and Rosehill Operating Company, LLC in their prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of Texas.
- Representation of the Canadian Court-appointed Receiver for BOS Solutions Ltd. in its Chapter 15 proceedings in the Southern District of Texas.
- Representation of a letter of credit and swap provider in the bankruptcy cases of Rex Energy Corporation and its affiliates in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
- Representation of the Court-appointed Fee Examiner in the bankruptcy cases of Seadrill Limited and its affiliates and iHeartMedia, Inc. and its affiliates in the Southern District of Texas.
- Representation of a previous owner of assets in the bankruptcy cases of Venoco LLC and its affiliates in the District of Delaware.
- Representation of the majority equity interest owner in the bankruptcy cases of C&J Energy Services Ltd. and its affiliates in the Southern District of Texas.
- Representation of the DIP Agent in the Chapter 15 proceedings in the Southern District of Texas for recognition of Canadian proceedings filed by Argent Energy (Canada) Holdings, Inc. and Argent Energy (US) Holdings, Inc. under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
- Representation of defendants in preference and fraudulent transfer litigation nationwide.
- Member of the 2022 Class of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 40 Under 40 Program
- Communications Secretary, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation, Houston Chapter
- At Large Council Member, Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas
- Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
- Member, Turnaround Management Association, Houston Chapter
- Member, Moller-Foltz American Inn of Court
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2020-2025
- Recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners, for Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Texas), 2024
- Included in Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars directory, Thomson Reuters, 2022-2024
- Included in Texas Super Lawyers Women’s Edition, Thomson Reuters, as a Rising Star, 2023
- “I’ve Got the Power (Or Do You?): The Growing Tension Between Bankruptcy Courts, Regulatory Agencies and Counterparties over Assumption and Rejection of Midstream Contracts and Power Purchase Agreements,” 2020 Hot Topics in Gas and Power Studio Webcast, University of Texas School of Law, December 11, 2020.
- “You’re Hired—Now What? Navigating the Requirements for Professional Retention in Bankruptcy,” 39th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, University of Texas School of Law, November 5, 2020.
- “Ten Tips for Dealing with Distressed Counterparties,” Center for American and International Law, Institute for Energy Law Webinar, June 16, 2020.
- “Rights Offerings – Use and Impact,” presenter, 38th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, University of Texas School of Law, November 14, 2019.
- “Wanting a Seat at the Table: The Rise of Equity Committees,” presenter, 36th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, University of Texas School of Law, November 16, 2017.
- “Deep in the Heart of Texas: How Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Cases Have Been Handled in the Southern District of Texas,” presenter, 12th Annual Oil, Gas, and Energy Symposium, Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law, University of Texas School of Law, February 9, 2017.
- "Real Property or Disguised Financing? A Closer Look at the Treatment of Oil and Gas Financing Transactions in Bankruptcy," co-author, SRR Journal, Spring 2016.
- "The Impact of Declining Oil Prices on the U.S. Energy Industry," panelist, Practical Law, February 17, 2016.
- Labor and Employment Chapter, Collier Guide to Chapter 11: Key Topics and Selected Industries, contributor, September 7, 2016.
Education
J.D., American University Washington College of Law, 2009, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Associate Executive Editor, American University International Law Review
B.A., Political Science, Texas A&M University, 2006, summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
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