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Thomas F. Kennedy 
Houston, Texas
Principal
phone (713) 893-1656
fax (713) 783-6601
email Email Me

Tom Kennedy has practiced law in the Houston area for over twenty years. For ten of those years, he served as the managing partner of a law firm which had offices in Houston and Austin, Texas, and Paris, France. He is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a graduate of LaSalle University, with a degree in Psychology, and the University of Houston Law Center, where he was a Law Review Student. While he was in law school, he was published twice and won the American Jurisprudence award as the top student in Wills, Estates and Administration.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Kennedy worked as a life insurance agent primarily in the business insurance area.

Mr. Kennedy has founded a title company, built and merged a law practice, assisted in various political campaigns and coordinated transportation and security for the Economic Summit of Industrial Nations held in Houston, in 1990.

He is a frequent lecturer and speaker on various legal topics, including the analysis of Wills, estate planning, trust law, an overview of estate taxation, the use of the revocable living trust in estate planning, family limited partnerships, charitable remainder trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, buy-sell agreements, asset protection planning and dynasty trusts.

He has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on Asset Protection in Texas and by KHOU TV (CBS) on Estate Planning after 9/11 and by KTRK TV(ABC) about Advanced Directives and Living Wills in Texas. He is a frequent guest on talk radio for Estate Planning issues. He has taught Estate Planning to Certified Financial Planning Candidates and graduate students at the University of Saint Thomas. He has also taught Estate Planning for the CFP Certification Examination at Rice University.

He is the father of four children and currently lives in Houston, Texas.

Areas of Practice:
Business and Estate Planning
Probate Law
Certification/Specialties:
Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization


Education:
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas
Honors: American Jurisprudence Award *
Honors: * Top student in Wills, Estates, and Administration
Law Journal: Houston Law Review, Associate Editor


La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Honors: Athletic Scholarship for Baseball; Honors Program
Major:  Psychology


Published Works:
"Constitutional Trends of Systematic Exclusion in Grand and Petit Juries", 3 National Journal of Criminal Defense 277, 1977


"The Act of State Doctrine Refined", 14 Houston Law Review 945, 1977


Classes/Seminars Taught:
Taught Estate Planning to Certified Financial Planning Candidates and Graduate Students, University of Saint Thomas & Rice University


Guest Speaker on Asset Protection, The Society of Financial Services Professionals


Guest Speaker on Estate Law Changes, The Society of Certified Financial Planners


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning, Houston Association of Life Underwriters


Guest Speaker on Charitable Planning, Southwestern Regional Meeting for New York Life


Taught Continuing Education for CPAs, Merrill Lynch


Taught Continuing Education for CPAs, Morgan Stanley


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, American General Life Insurance Company


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, Guardian Life Insurance Company


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, New England Financial Group


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, Connecticut Mutual


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, Union Central Life Insurance Company


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, Phoenix Home Life


Guest Speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection, New York Life Insurance Company


Professional Associations and Memberships:
State Bar of Texas
Member


Board Certified Estate Planning and Probate Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization


U.S./China Joint Session on Trade, Investment and Economic Law, 1987
Participant, at the request of the Attorney General of the U.S.


Comparative Law Conference, Moscow and Leningrad, U.S.S.R, 1988
Participant


Woodway Financial Advisors, a Trust Company
Former Advisory Board of Directors


Capital Formation Committee for the Houston Economic Development Council, 1988 - 1989
Chair


The Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations, 1990
Critical Path Coordinator


Charter Title Company
Founder, 1st Chairman of the Board


Society of Financial Services Professionals
Board of Directors


International Society of Business Fellows
1988 Member, Attended London Business School


Metropolitan Breakfast Club and the Champions Breakfast Club
Founder


Houston Business and Estate Planning Council
Member


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5851 San Felipe St., Suite 925 | Houston, TX 77057 | Phone: 713-893-1656 | E-Mail | Map & Directions