Ferrell Keel is a securities and corporate governance lawyer who represents clients in a broad range of complex capital markets transactions, while also helping companies navigate some of the most consequential governance issues facing public companies today. In the last two years alone, Ferrell has led billions of dollars in debt and equity securities offerings, testified before a state and a federal legislature, and shaped the strategy of nationally significant litigation — emerging as a nationally recognized thought leader who is reshaping the intersection of corporate governance, public policy, and capital markets.
Ferrell's governance practice focuses on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations, state corporate law, including redomiciliations to Texas, and high-stakes shareholder activism matters. In 2025, Ferrell served as an expert witness before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services in a hearing on "Proxy Power and Proposal Abuse: Reforming Rule 14a-8 to Protect Shareholder Value” and also testified before the Texas State Senate Committee on State Affairs on SB 2337, a first-of-its-kind regulation of proxy advisors. These achievements build on Ferrell's work as the SEC lead on the Jones Day team that represented ExxonMobil in its 2024 lawsuit against shareholder activists — a matter widely regarded as the defining proxy season development of that year.
Ferrell also facilitates annual evaluations for public company boards of directors, addressing governance matters such as risk oversight, effective communication between management and the board, and succession planning.
執業經驗
- February 17, 2026
Shareholder Engagement: Responsiveness and Responsibility, moderator, Texas A&M 2nd Annual Corporate Law Symposium - January 13, 2026
Proxy Season Preview: Navigating Unchartered Territory, Dallas Bar Association - December 11, 2025
Shifting Governance Paradigm: Battle of the States, Georgia Bar Association - September 10, 2025
Congressional Testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services at a Hearing entitled "Proxy Power and Proposal Abuse: Reforming Rule 14a-8 to Protect Shareholder Value" - April 24, 2025
Congressional Testimony to the Texas State Senate Committee on State Affairs on S.B. 2337 and the undue influence of proxy advisors - March 4, 2025
Roundtable discussion on "Environmental Disclosure Requirements" by the D.C. Bar's Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Community - January 8, 2024
The Art of Effectively Serving the Board: Norms and Best Practices, Dallas Bar Association - October 3, 2023
Breaking Up is Hard to Do: How to Navigate an Evolving Board of Directors, Texas General Counsel Forum
- New York University (J.D. 2012); Vanderbilt University (B.S. in Economics and History 2007)
- Texas and New York
Chambers USA: Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, Central United States and Texas
The Best Lawyers in America: Recognized for Corporate Law in 2025, 2024, and 2023