Kara Stauffer

Senior Counsel Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Houston
United States
+1 713 651 3789
Houston
United States
+1 713 651 3789
Kara Stauffer

Kara Stauffer

Biography

Kara Stauffer represents clients of all sizes in a variety of litigation and arbitration matters, including wrongful death and personal injury litigation, contractual and indemnity disputes, commercial fraud and misrepresentation cases, defense of businesses and their employees against claims brought under Section 1983 and the American Disabilities Act, environmental claims and the partnership dissolution process.

Kara also regularly provides legal guidance to clients with drafting non-compete agreements, confidentiality agreements, releases and settlement documents. She is well-versed in eDiscovery matters, including the collection, processing and review of data.

Kara’s comprehensive practice is built on nearly two decades of diverse experience. Earlier in her legal career, Kara gained substantial experience representing energy industry clients in connection with Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission investigations dealing with corporate responsibilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), as well as managing third party due diligence efforts.

Kara is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas.

Professional experience

Representative experience

Representative experience

  • Worked effectively with upstream services provider to resolve personal injury burn claims by third party.
  • Assisted compression services company with successful resolution of offshore personal injury claim on behalf of its indemnitee. 
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of energy services provider facing allegations of negligence from operator employee.
  • Defended foreign industrial solutions company against contract, warranty, and fraud claims related to product entry to the United States.
  • Negotiated resolution of multiple breach of contract matters on behalf of research-based medical institution.
  • Settled breach of contract case for company providing life cycle services for the energy industry, after prior settlement fell apart due to allegations of fraudulent inducement and mistake.
  • Collectively worked with a team of state and private practice attorneys to negotiate a series of eight separate wrongful death settlements while assisting in coordination of related class action settlement dealing with civil rights, section 1983 claims and the ADA on behalf of state agency providing healthcare services to the state correctional system.
  • Prepared and argued multiple successful summary judgment motions in dispute spanning three counties and covering multiple real estate transactions.
  • Successful pursuit of contract and negligence claims on behalf of multi-national chemical company in connection with vendor services provided during a turnaround at one of its Texas facilities.
  • Secured favorable and swift settlement on behalf of energy trading company after it discovered employee misconduct, utilizing injunctive relief to identify and restrict further use of company assets.
  • Favorably resolved breach of contract/sponsorship dispute on behalf of health sciences university.
  • Defended a construction-services company in a complex wrongful death suit involving multiple parties on both the plaintiff and defense side, while achieving a quick settlement of associated indemnity obligations owed to the company by its subcontractor.

Rankings and recognitions

Rankings and recognitions

  • Texas Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, 2016

Education

Education

  • JD, magna cum laude, University of Houston Law Center, 2006
  • BS, magna cum laude, University of Houston, 1996

Admissions

Admissions

  • Texas State Bar

Memberships and activities

Memberships and activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Houston Bar Association
    • Lawyers for Literacy Committee, Member, 2017 – Present
    • Bench Bar Committee, Member, 2024 – Present
    • Fee Dispute Committee, Member, 2018 – 2025
      • Co-Chair, 2022 – 2024
    • Professionalism Committee, Mentor, 2020 – 2021
    • Fun Run Committee, Member, 2006 – 2018
    • Co-Chair, 2010, 2016
  • Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow

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