Melanie Gray specializes in complex commercial litigation and co-chairs the Firm's Bankruptcy Litigation Practice Group. With her extensive courtroom experience, she has been a significant advisor to companies who find themselves facing "bet the company" litigation risks or financial distress.
With a wide array of commercial litigation experience, Ms. Gray has particular expertise in litigating contract disputes, particularly those involving financial derivatives and employment issues.
She is known for managing complex cases requiring diverse teams of lawyers in different practice areas. Ms. Gray was deeply involved in the Firm's representation of Enron in its chapter 11 case. With exceptional crisis management skill, she smoothly coordinated the multitude of attorneys and firms working for Enron. In addition to managing a case of such complexity, she also was one of the lead attorneys in Enron' s more than thirty lawsuits seeking to recover more than $1 billion due the company under various financial derivative contracts.
Ms. Gray is valued by clients as a trusted counselor and advisor, as well as a powerful litigator. Her diligence and insight in developing an understanding of litigation issues in the context of their impact and wider consequences for the company enables her to help clients better understand and maintain focus on their business goals. She works to find creative and cooperative solutions that maximize the client's objectives while minimizing litigation risk. Ms. Gray is recognized both as an effective diplomat and a forceful advocate when agreement is not possible.
Ms. Gray's advocacy and personal skills have earned her the respect of the judiciary, co-counsel, and opposing counsel. She was recognized as one of the Lone Star All-Star's "effective litigators and communicators with great judgment" by Litigation Management and has earned numerous recognitions of professional excellence. Ms. Gray has served in leadership roles in a number of legal organizations, including serving on the Board of the Houston Bar Foundation and is a Founding Member of the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. Within the Houston community, Ms. Gray is widely known and frequently honored for her service and contributions to the arts, education, and the advancement of women.