For Immediate Release
Contact:
Maggie Martin, Director, Marketing and Communications
O: 346-471-3428 | maggiem@hba.org
Houston Litigator Sara Keith Assumes Role as 2025 HBF Chair
(HOUSTON – FEBRUARY 14) – Sara Keith, Senior Legal Counsel with Shell USA, Inc., is the 2025 Houston Bar Foundation Chair. Keith succeeded 2024 HBF Chair Linda Hester at the Foundation’s Annual Luncheon held at Hotel ZaZa-Museum District on February 13.
(Above: 2025 HBF Chair Sara Keith presents 2024 HBF Chair Linda Hester with a plaque of service for Hester's leadership, service, and stewardship of the Foundation.)
Under Hester’s leadership as HBF Chair, the Foundation:
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Revised its mission statement;
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Updated its Fellows Program, including an exciting new Fellows category called “Champion Fellows” - recognizing Fellows who provide substantial long-term support for the HBF’s access to justice and high-impact programming; and
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Established the HBF Community Grants Program, which will provide grants to qualified local projects that align with the mission of the Foundation.
“I am incredibly honored to serve as the 2025 Chair of the Houston Bar Foundation. I am proud of everything the Foundation has accomplished this year to broaden and deepen the impact of our work to improve the lives of our fellow Houstonians,” said Keith. “Our accomplishments are possible because of our dedicated Board, HBA staff, the generosity of our Fellows, and our amazing Houston legal community. I am grateful to Linda for her dedicated leadership, service, and stewardship of the Foundation during her term as Chair. I look forward to serving at the helm of the Foundation and working with our Board of Directors to continue championing programs that support access to justice in the greater Houston area.”
Sara Keith is an accomplished litigator and bankruptcy lawyer with over 16 years of experience. Sara joined Shell USA, Inc. in December 2018, where she advises executive leadership and key stakeholders on insolvency matters, litigation, commercial credit negotiations, risk management, and compliance. In addition to serving as the HBF Chair, Sara is International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) – Houston Network President, Shell Women Adding Value Everywhere (WAVE) Woodcreek Chapter Vice President, and a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow. She is also the 2025 Shell U.S. Legal Pro Bono & Community Service Program Veterans Clinic Co-Lead and serves on numerous planning committees for several Texas legal conferences.
The Foundation’s board includes 2023-2025 directors Andrew Edelman of LyondellBasell, Holly Chastain Nini of CITGO Petroleum Corp., and Christopher D. Northcutt of Chevron Corporation; 2024-2026 directors Benny Agosto, Jr. of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner; Jennifer A. Hasley of Hasley Scarano, L.L.P.; Stephanie Noble, Vinson & Elkins LLP; and Krisina Zuñiga, Susman Godfrey L.L.P.; and incoming 2025-2027 directors Sejal Brahmbhatt of Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP; Hon. Mike Engelhart of Kherkher Garcia, LLP; Mindy Davidson; and Denise Scofield of O’Melveny & Myers LLP.
Linda Hester will serve on the board as Immediate Past Chair. HBA President David Harrell of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP will serve as Ex Officio, as will HBA Executive Director and Secretary of the HBF Board Vinh Ho.
The Foundation also presented the 2025 James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award to Denise Scofield. The award, established in 2009, recognizes the excellence that has been the hallmark of the Foundation’s leadership. Over the past three decades, Denise has spent significant time representing low-income individuals on a pro bono basis on a wide array of issues, including domestic violence, contested divorce and custody, and disability rights. Denise has served locally and statewide in leadership positions to address the justice gap in Texas. Here in Houston, Denise served on, and chaired, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers board, then led efforts that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for HVL as a president of the Houston Bar Association and chair of the Houston Bar Foundation. Denise is a long-time director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. She regularly advocates for funding and support of legal aid.
Other awards presented at the HBF Luncheon included:
Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) Pro Bono Awards
Corporate Law Department – Baker Hughes
Large Law Firm – Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Mid-Size Law Firm – Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
Small Law Firm – Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P.
Individual – Shay Johanson
Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) Awards
Stanley Santire - Longevity of Exemplary Service to the Dispute Resolution Center
LeRoy “Mac” Coleman - Outstanding Contribution to the Dispute Resolution Center
Outstanding Legal Article in The Houston Lawyer
Dave Louie, author of “The Many Titles of Tasha Schwikert Moser," from the January/February 2024 issue of The Houston Lawyer
Additional information about these awards and the Houston Bar Foundation can be found at hba.org/foundation.
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The Houston Bar Foundation was established in 1982 as the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. Since that time, the Foundation has supported programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice. Through the generosity of its contributors, and significantly its Fellows, the Foundation has been able to make a difference in the greater Houston community.
