Kendal Simpson is an appellate specialist known for her persuasive writing, head-turning efficiency, and excellent oral advocacy. As head of Reese Marketos’s appellate practice, Kendal leads the firm’s appeals in state and federal courts and plays an integral role in the firm’s legal strategy at every phase of litigation — from interlocutory issues to preserving the record at trial to written briefing to oral argument.
Her appellate work encompasses a wide array of complex commercial litigation including fraud, breach of contract, the False Claims Act, negligence, and fiduciary duty. Exhaustive preparation, creative problem-solving, tenacity, and attention to detail are the hallmarks of Kendal’s practice. She prides herself in taking a personal interest in her clients’ concerns. No matter how complex the case, Kendal is committed to achieving outstanding results.
In her highest-profile win, Kendal prevailed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit as a fourth-year associate in a highly publicized lawsuit filed by T. Boone Pickens and Cowboy Athletics, Inc. against an insurance agent over the “Gift of a Lifetime” program. She led briefing and handled oral argument for the insurance agent, and before spearheading that appeal, she helped the trial team secure a summary judgment that threw out $33 million in damages sought by Mr. Pickens.
Since then, Kendal has won multiple federal appeals in the United States Fifth Circuit and the Texas courts of appeals, and has continued developing and expanding her practice to other appellate courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
When she’s not at the office, Kendal enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching her three daughters play soccer, coaching her son’s soccer team, being active herself, and playing her flute at her church, Creekwood United Methodist.