Steve Kesten

Having practiced for more than 30 years, Steve Kesten is able to counsel firm clients in multiple areas of the law; however, his primary practice focus is transactional law. Steve’s practice includes depth in mergers and acquisitions, private securities (including private placements and other sales and purchases of debt or equity securities); formation and representation of private equity funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds; entity selection and formation (including drafting complex limited liability company and partnership agreements and corporate charters having multiple classes of common and preferred stock); employment transactional agreements including executive employment agreements and incentive equity plans and general contract review.

He also has experience representing both lenders and borrowers in asset-based lending transactions involving senior lenders, mezzanine lenders and factoring companies. Most recently, Steve’s practice has centered on the purchase and sale of middle-market companies, private placements, private equity and venture capital investment and representing foreign companies with the expansion of their businesses into the United States, in particular the State of Texas.

Steve has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Houston since 1992. During that time, he served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Rotary Lombardi Award, and was the General Chairman of the event in 1997. The Rotary Lombardi Award honors the outstanding college lineman of the year while raising significant contributions benefiting the American Cancer Society. In 2007, Steve was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for his 15+ years of “service above self” on behalf of the Rotary Club.

Steve is also involved in other social causes such as child literacy having served on various steering committees and on host committees and other projects for Literacy Now, an organization that provides reading intervention programs for kindergarten to third graders in the Houston and Aldine Independent School Districts needing the most assistance in getting to grade level reading. Steve served as a Co-Chair for Literacy Now’s 2022 Magnum’s Gala where he was instrumental in a record breaking fund raising event for the organization. Steve is also deeply involved with the Houston Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), having been elected to multiple leadership positions. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of ACG since 2011 and was the President of the Chapter for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Steve has also been an active member of The Entrepreneurship Institute, an organization dedicated to helping middle market companies grow through the assistance of the right advisers and professionals. Steve has a massive network that he uses regularly to provide additional value to our firm clients.

Steve has been an active member of the Houston Bar Association Mergers & Acquisitions Section, serving as a Council Member, as Chairman of the Section for its 2014-2015 fiscal year and as Treasurer in 2013. Steve is a graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future which focuses on resolving some of Houston’s most difficult social and economic issues.

• Houston Private Equity Association, Board Member
• The Entrepreneurship Institute, Member Firm Board Representative
• Association for Corporate Growth – Houston, Board of Directors, President (2015-2016)
• Professional Directors Association
• Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors
• Houston Bar Association, Council Member, Mergers & Acquisitions Section Chair (2014-2015)
• Texas Bar Association
• American Bar Association

• Center for Houston’s Future, Leadership Forum Class of 2017
• Rotary Club of Houston, Lombardi Award General Chair, Executive Committee and Hospitality Chairman
• Houston Health Museum, Gala Sponsor Committee (2011)
• Houston Chapter of the American Cancer Society, former Board Member
• Literacy Now, Houston Reads Day Steering Committee and Magnum Gala Co-Chair and Host Committee member

• JD, University of Houston Law Center (cum laude)
• BBA, University of Texas (with high honors)