Robert C. Stern holds bar admissions in Louisiana and Texas state courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He served as a special prosecutor in the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office from 1993 to 1995, concentrating on sexual offenses against children, and has handled high-profile criminal cases, including second degree murder and police corruption matters, that received extensive media coverage. His co-founder, Robert J. Killeen Jr., was named one of Houston’s best litigators by H Texas Magazine every year from 2006 through 2017, has published multiple CLE works on insurance law and ethics, and holds bar admissions in both Louisiana and Texas across multiple federal district courts. Together, they founded Killeen & Stern, PC in 1996.
Overview
Killeen & Stern, PC operates from 1811 Bering Drive in Houston, Texas, with an additional office in Austin. The firm also appears in some directories under the name Killeen & Associates, PC. Practice areas span complex civil and commercial litigation, maritime and energy law, insurance law, criminal defense, toxic tort, products liability, construction litigation, and securities matters.
The firm has handled over ten thousand client consultations in its history and claims a ninety-seven percent successful case rate with over one billion dollars in monies recovered and protected across its history. These figures are asserted by the firm; independent verification is not available.
The founding attorneys bring geographic coverage that extends across the Gulf Coast region: both Killeen and Stern hold Texas and Louisiana bar admissions, which is directly relevant for maritime, energy, and Gulf Coast commercial matters that cross state lines.
The firm carries an AV rating, reflecting the Martindale-Hubbell peer review assessment of legal ability and ethical standards.
Practice Areas
Civil and Commercial Litigation forms the core of the practice. The firm represents business owners, insurance companies, and individuals in complex civil disputes including breach of contract, commercial disputes, and corporate litigation. The combined litigation experience of the founding partners exceeds seventy years.
Insurance Law covers coverage disputes, subrogation claims, and property and casualty matters. Robert Killeen’s CLE work on insurance law topics, including published pieces on reservations of rights and ethical dilemmas facing insurance adjusters, reflects a depth of insurance defense and coverage knowledge that is directly applicable to the firm’s insurance client representations.
Maritime Law covers vessel collisions, cargo losses, maritime personal injury defense, charter disputes, and underwriting matters. Killeen’s membership in the Maritime Law Association of the United States reflects active engagement with this specialized bar. The Houston-based practice with Louisiana connections is well-positioned for Gulf of Mexico maritime work.
Energy Law addresses disputes in the energy sector, which is a significant portion of the Houston commercial legal market.
Criminal Defense is handled by Robert Stern, who brings prosecutorial experience and a track record of representing defendants in high-profile criminal matters including second degree murder and police corruption cases. Stern has also represented attorneys and judges accused of misconduct.
Toxic Tort covers environmental and toxic injury defense for clients facing claims arising from exposure to hazardous substances.
Products Liability handles defense of products liability claims.
Construction Litigation addresses disputes arising from construction projects.
Securities matters are within the firm’s litigation scope.
Trucking defense is also among the firm’s practice areas.
Attorney Profiles
Robert J. Killeen, Jr. is the Managing Attorney and Founding Partner.
Education: B.A. in History, Tulane University, 1984; J.D., Tulane University, 1987.
Bar admissions: Louisiana (1987); Texas (1990). U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; U.S. Court of Federal Claims; U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas; Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana.
Memberships: State Bar of Texas; Louisiana State Bar Association; Federal Bar Association; American Bar Association; Maritime Law Association of the United States; Defense Research Institute.
Recognition: Named one of Houston’s best litigators by H Texas Magazine, 2006-2017.
Published works: “Fear and Loathing in the P&I World”; “Ethical Dilemmas Facing Insurance Adjusters”; “Reservation of Rights.” Speaker at insurance industry CLE seminars.
Contact: [email protected].
Robert C. Stern is a Founding Partner.
Education: B.A. cum laude, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1975; J.D., Loyola University New Orleans, 1978.
Bar admissions: Louisiana and Texas state courts; U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; United States Supreme Court.
Prior service: Special prosecutor, St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, 1993-1995, concentrating on sexual offenses against children.
Recognition: Martindale-Hubbell AV rating (highest designation).
Notable practice history: Has handled high-profile criminal cases including second degree murder and police corruption matters. Has represented attorneys and judges.
G. Scott Williams is an Attorney at the firm.
Additional credential and bar admission details are not publicly available.
Location and Service Area
Primary office: 1811 Bering Drive, Houston, TX 77057. Phone: (713) 626-5100. Fax: (713) 626-4545.
Email: [email protected].
Website: https://killeen-law.com/
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
The firm also maintains an Austin, Texas office. Service area extends across Texas and the Gulf Coast region, with representation in both Texas and Louisiana state and federal courts.
Client Focus
Killeen & Stern serves insurance companies, businesses, maritime and energy industry clients, and individuals in criminal defense matters. The firm’s dual Texas-Louisiana bar coverage makes it relevant for Gulf Coast clients whose matters cross state lines, which is common in maritime, energy, and toxic tort contexts.
Contact is available by phone at (713) 626-5100 or by email at [email protected]. Appointments can be requested through the website contact form. Whether initial consultations are provided without charge is not publicly specified.
Languages spoken beyond English are not publicly available.
FAQ
Does the firm handle both civil and criminal matters?
Yes. Killeen & Stern handles complex civil and commercial litigation, maritime and energy disputes, insurance coverage matters, and toxic tort on the civil side, while Robert Stern handles criminal defense for both state and federal matters.
Does the firm practice in Louisiana as well as Texas?
Yes. Both founding partners hold bar admissions in Louisiana and Texas, with admissions to multiple federal district courts in each state. The firm serves Gulf Coast clients whose matters span both states.
Has Robert Killeen received any professional recognition?
He was named one of Houston’s best litigators by H Texas Magazine each year from 2006 through 2017. He has also published multiple CLE works on insurance law and ethics and has spoken at insurance industry CLE seminars.
Does the firm handle maritime law?
Yes. Maritime matters including vessel collisions, cargo losses, maritime personal injury defense, charter disputes, and underwriting matters are within the firm’s practice. Robert Killeen is a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
What is the firm’s track record?
The firm reports over ten thousand client consultations, a ninety-seven percent successful case rate, and over one billion dollars in monies recovered and protected across its history since 1996. These figures are asserted by the firm.
Closing
Killeen & Stern’s nearly thirty years of Houston practice reflect a litigation-focused firm built by two attorneys with complementary backgrounds: a maritime, insurance, and commercial litigator recognized by H Texas Magazine each year from 2006 through 2017, and a criminal defense practitioner whose prosecutorial background informs both his courtroom effectiveness and his understanding of the other side of the table.