Keri Brown > Baker Botts L.L.P. > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile
Baker Botts L.L.P. Offices
910 LOUISIANA STREET
HOUSTON
TEXAS 77002-4995
TEXAS
United States
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Keri Brown
Work Department
Tax
Position
Partner
Career
A trusted advisor to some of the nation’s most prominent individuals, Keri Brown assists her clients on complex federal estate, gift and income tax litigation and controversy matters, including disputes and litigation with the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service. She counsels high net worth individuals and families in a variety of courts, including in the United States Tax Court, United States District Courts and United States Courts of Appeals. She represents taxpayers in federal tax audits and administrative appeals, and represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries of trusts and estates in state courts with respect to administration and fiduciary duty issues. She also assists businesses and individuals in preparing for and navigating the litigation process in tax matters.
In 2021, Keri was recognized as a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal for her significant business accomplishments, as well as her commitment to community service.
As firmwide Partner-in-Charge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Keri advances the firm’s commitment to its communities by allocating the firm’s people and financial resources to support communities, overseeing corporate citizenship, managing the firm’s pro bono efforts, and aligning the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts with those of its clients.
In 2020, Keri led a firmwide team of lawyers in creating a COVID-19 Community Resource Guide focused on the federal, state, and business response to the pandemic. Her work was featured in The American Lawyer, the Texas Lawbook, and The Houston Lawyer, and she was recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the “Heroes of the Front Line” in the battle against COVID-19. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Keri’s pro bono efforts were featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABA Journal, Texas Bar Journal, Texas Lawyer, Houston Business Journal, and The Houston Lawyer. The State Bar of Texas honored Keri with its 2018 Pro Bono Coordinator Award.
Memberships
State Bar of Texas
Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
Board Certified in Estate Planning & Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth & Eleventh Circuits
United States Tax Court
American Bar Association – Real Property, Trust & Estate Section, Income & Transfer Tax Planning Group Chair, 2020-2022, Vice-Chair, 2018-2020; Tax Litigation & Controversy Committee Co-Chair, 2012-2016, Co-Vice Chair, 2010-2012
Life Fellow – Texas Bar Foundation
Sustaining Life Fellow – Houston Bar Foundation
Impact100, Founding Member
State Bar of Texas – Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee, Chair, 2022-present; Member, 2019-2022
State Bar of Texas – Pro Bono Workgroup, 2020-present
Houston Volunteer Lawyers – Chair, 2021-2022; Chair-Elect & Executive Committee member, 2020-2021; Board Secretary & Development Committee Chair, 2019-2020, Member, 2018-2019
Texas Appleseed – Board of Directors, 2020-present
Houston Bar Association – Board of Directors, 2022-2024
Houston Bar Association – Houston Lawyer Referral Service, Board of Directors, 2022-present
Houston Bar Association – Probate, Trusts & Estates Section Council, 2018-present, Member, 2007-present
Houston Bar Association – Disaster Preparedness Committee Co-Chair, 2020-2021
Houston Bar Association – Fee Dispute Committee Co-Chair, 2019-2020, Member, 2018-2019
Houston Bar Association – CLE Committee, Elder Law Committee, 2015-2016
Houston Bar Association – Speakers Bureau, 2014-2015
Houston Bar Association – Habitat for Humanity Committee, Harris County Law Library Committee, 2013-2014
Houston Bar Association – The Houston Lawyer, 2008-2014; Editor in Chief, 2012-2013
Houston Bar Association – Co-Chair, LegalLine Committee, 2009-2012
Houston Bar Association – Co-Chair, Law & the Media Committee, 2009-2010
Kids in Need of Defense – Houston Advisory Committee Member
Education
J.D., South Texas College of Law 2006
summa cum laude
Valedictorian
Order of the Lytae
Phi Delta Phi
Dean’s List
Outstanding Female Graduate
Note & Comment Editor, South Texas Law Review
B.A., Speech Communication, Texas A&M University 2001
Personal
Frequent speaker, author regarding federal transfer tax controversy issues.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Tax > US taxes: contentious
Baker Botts L.L.P. fields a long-established federal tax controversy and litigation team, with strength in the energy, technology, and financial service industries, and a large SALT practice, which is active in state audits, appeals, and litigation. Clients are particularly complimentary of the firm’s aptitude for estate and gift tax controversies, and praise the group’s ‘depth and breadth of expertise.’ State and local tax chair Renn Neilson, based in Houston, covers property, income, and sales tax controversies. Also based in Houston are senior partner John Porter and the ‘fantastic’ Keri Brown, who frequently work closely together on estate and gift tax controversies. Jon Feldhammer works from the San Francisco office, and is active on tax controversies before the IRS, California Franchise Tax Board, and other state agencies. Senior associate Ben Geslison, of the Houston office, focuses on SALT matters. William Gorrod left the firm in February 2024.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- International Trade > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
Firm Rankings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Energy > Energy litigation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Tax > International tax
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing)
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Finance > Project finance
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Real estate > Real estate
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense