J. Kent Friedman is a partner in the Public Law Practice Group in the Houston office of Haynes and Boone, LLP.
A veteran corporate/transactional lawyer as well as Houston civic leader, Kenny is the current chairman of the board of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, the public entity that guided the building of Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium, Toyota Center and the BBVA Compass Dynamo Stadium.
Kenny's practice is primarily in the corporate and transactional areas, and he has represented a number of highly successful entrepreneurs.
Kenny's experience spans a wide range of business transactional matters, as well as the representation of public entities or clients that interact with public entities. In addition, he has participated in numerous corporate governance and highly contentious disputes of various kinds.
In 1999, Kenny received the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary's Leon Jaworski Award given annually to a Houston Bar Association member who has made significant contributions to the civic and cultural life of Houston.
Kenny currently serves on the advisory board of the Hermann Park Conservancy, and on the boards of the Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics, Texas Bowl and the Leo Baeck Educational Center Foundation.
He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board and General Counsel of MAXXAM Inc, a diversified, publicly traded holding company with extensive interests in various businesses.
Selected Client Representations
- Represented the Houston Federal Judges (District Court and 5th Circuit) in securing changes by METRO to its proposed downtown rail plan.
- Special Counsel to the commissioners of the Port of Houston Authority.
Selected Honors
- New York Super Lawyers, Real Estate, 2012
- Spirit of Life Award, Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care, 2008
- Houston Competes for the Cure Award, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2008
- Max Nathan Award, American Jewish Committee, 1995
- Leon Jaworski Award, The Houston Bar Association Auxiliary, 1999
- Martindale Hubbell® Law Directory with a Peer Review Rating of AV® Preeminent™
Current Community Involvement
- Chairman of the Board of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority
- President of the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship Foundation
- Board of Directors, Hermann Park Conservancy
- Board of Directors, Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics
- Board of Directors, Leo Baeck Educational Center Foundation
- Tulane University President's Council
Former Community Involvement
- Board of Regents, Texas Southern University
- Executive Committee, Board of Directors of the Houston Symphony
- Co-Chairman, Greater Houston Inner City Games
- President of the Foundation for Jones Hall
- President of the Southwest Region of the American Jewish Committee
- Chairman of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston
- Board Member, Houston Area Women's Center
- Board Member, Houston Interfaith Ministries
- Board Member, Anti-Defamation League
- Board Member, Houston Proud