Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added a fourth Texas office — its 25th in the United States and 47th worldwide — with the opening of a Houston office. Joining K&L Gates in the establishment of the office is corporate partner Charles L. Strauss, who arrives at the firm from the Houston office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., where he was a partner since 1991 and served as head of the firm’s securities practice group. During his 30 years with Fulbright & Jaworski, Strauss advised clients across a wide range of industry sectors on various corporate and securities matters, including clients based in the oil and gas, aerospace, trucking, and financial services industries, among others. Strauss also served in a variety of management functions at Fulbright & Jaworski, such as the partners committee and multiple diversity and inclusion committees.
K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner Peter J. Kalis commented: “We’re fortunate to have Charles Strauss join us as the founding partner of our Houston office. Charles’ inclusive approach to the practice of law is perfectly aligned with our integrated global platform. We look forward to working with Charles to grow a dynamic and client-focused Houston office.”
Strauss advises public and private companies and their boards on such matters as mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; public and private offerings of securities (equity and debt); antitakeover bids; corporate restructurings; stock purchases and sales; change of control agreements; joint ventures; international law; and insider trading issues, among others. His clients include companies in such sectors as energy (oil and gas pipeline, exploration, production, service, refining, and marketing), chemical and petrochemical, transportation, and information technology.
“I am very excited to be joining K&L Gates — a firm with a very strong platform throughout the United States as well as internationally,” stated Strauss. “I look forward to opening and building a strong office in Houston, the energy capital of the United States.”
“We are delighted to have Charles join us and to open a Houston office,” said Seattle partner Elizabeth Thomas, Pittsburgh partner Michael Zanic, and Perth partner Simon Salter, the leaders of K&L Gates’ energy, infrastructure and resources practice area. “Charles brings tremendous transactional capabilities and relationships in a broad range of energy and infrastructure industries — oil and gas exploration and production, oil and gas service, refining and marketing, pipeline, chemical, petrochemical, and transportation. Houston cements our firm’s presence across the globe in energy, infrastructure and resources. With Charles anchoring our Houston office, K&L Gates can serve existing clients even better while also broadening our work in the sector.”
In addition to expanding K&L Gates’ footprint in Texas to a fourth office — along with Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth — the launch of the Houston office also follows the firm’s recent combination with Australian national firm Middletons and the establishment of an office in Seoul.
