As one of the country's leading executive compensation attorneys, Gail offers far more than legal experience. In addition to four decades of experience handling the complex intersection of federal and state employment law, tax and securities compliance, Gail's clients rely on her exceptional understanding of interpersonal dynamics and graceful negotiating tactics. Using this artful blend of the professional and personal, Gail champions her client's short-term needs, while preserving their long-term interests.
Throughout her career, Gail has designed and implemented executive compensation arrangements, such as equity-based incentive programs, salary continuation plans, golden parachute arrangements and employment agreements. She helps clients establish and manage executive compensation plans and arrangements, as well as negotiate and draft employment and severance agreements with senior executives of publicly traded and privately held companies.
Gail also serves as a sounding board, advising General Counsel and other executives on delicate issues such as the design and regulatory compliance of pension, profit sharing and employee stock ownership plans and welfare benefit plans.
In addition to her legal work, Gail sits on the Board of Regents for Baylor University, on the Board of Trustees for Baylor College of Medicine, and is Director for the National Association of Corporate Directors Tri-Cities Chapter.
Awards & Community
Ranked "Band 1" for Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation in Chambers USA, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023
Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2003-2022
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.), 2005-2022
Recognized as a Houston Top 50 Women in Law from the Texas Diversity Council in 2017
Named a BTI Client Service All-Star for 2017
Recommended in The Legal 500 U.S., 2013-2022
Listed in Super Lawyer Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas (Thomson Reuters), 2010
News
Baker Botts Earns 17% Increase in "Lawyers of the Year" and 18% Increase in "Ones to Watch" in The Best Lawyers in America
Baker Botts’ Band 1 Practice Rankings Increase by 27% in Chambers USA 2023
Sunnova’s Securitization of Residential Solar and Battery Loan Agreements
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
CDT Roundup: 11 Deals, 8 Firms, 103 Lawyers, $22.5B
The Texas LawbookThe Texas Lawbook
Baker Botts Represents Sunnova Energy International Inc. in Securitization of Residential Solar and Battery Loan Agreements
Sunnova Energy International Inc.’s Securitization of Residential Solar Systems
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
CDT Roundup: 23 Deals, 18 Firms, 135 Lawyers, $3.7B
The Texas LawbookThe Texas Lawbook
Baker Botts Represents Sunnova Energy International Inc. in Securitization of Residential Solar Systems
CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 9 Firms, 81 Lawyers, $14.8B
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Baker Botts Represents Sunnova Energy International Inc. in Securitization of Residential Solar and Battery Loan Agreements
What you need to know about the SEC's clawback rules
Corporate SecretaryCorporate Secretary
Liberty Latin America Completes Combination of VTR and Claro Chile
Baker Botts Represents Sunnova Energy International Inc. in Securitization of Residential Solar and Battery Loan Agreements
Baker Botts Represents Sunnova Energy International Inc. in Securitization of Residential Solar Systems
Baker Botts Earns 45 Practice Rankings in Chambers USA 2022
Crestwood Buys Oasis Midstream in $1.8B Deal
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Baker Botts Represents Crestwood in Acquisition of Oasis Midstream Partners in $1.8 Billion Transaction
CDT Roundup: 15 Deals, 12 Firms, 132 Lawyers, $3.92B
Texas LawbookTexas Lawbook
Westlake Chemical Corporation's $252.5 Million Acquisition of LASCO Fittings
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Advises Westlake Chemical Corporation in Acquisition of LASCO Fittings, Inc.
CDT Roundup: 10 Deals, 7 Firms, 83 Lawyers, $4.99B
Texas LawbookTexas Lawbook
Westlake Chemical Corporation
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Advises Westlake Chemical Corporation in $2.15 Billion Acquisition of Boral’s North American Building Products Businesses
Baker Botts, Stinson Pick Up Thompson & Knight Partners in Dallas
Texas LawyerTexas Lawyer
Baker Botts Welcomes Prominent Executive Compensation and Benefits Partner in Dallas
Kinney RecruitingKinney Recruiting
Another Thompson & Knight partner lands at Baker Botts pre merger
ReutersReuters
Baker Botts Welcomes Prominent Executive Compensation and Benefits Partner in Dallas
Baker Botts’ Practices and Lawyers Take More Top Spots in Chambers USA 2021
CDT Roundup: 21 Deals, 16 Firms, 125 Lawyers, $7.2B
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Summit Utilities Acquires Arkansas, Oklahoma Assets from CenterPoint Energy
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Morgan Lewis, Baker Botts Drive $2.15B Gas Systems Deal
Law360Law360
Baker Botts Advises CenterPoint Energy in $2.15 Billion Sale of Arkansas and Oklahoma Natural Gas LDC Businesses to Summit Utilities
CDT Roundup: 14 Deals, 8 Firms, 115 Lawyers, $8.15B
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Dream Finders Homes' Initial Public Offering
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Represents Dream Finders Homes, Inc. in its Initial Public Offering
Luxury Fashion Retailer Leads $532M Pair Of IPOs
Law360Law360
Liberty Latin America's $350 Million Rights Offering
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Represents Liberty Latin America in its Rights Offering
Twelve Baker Botts Lawyers Recognized as ‘Lawyers of the Year’ in Best Lawyers 2021
Liberty Latin America's Acquisition Of Telefonica's Operations
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
CDT Roundup: 7 Deals, 7 Firms, 73 Lawyers, $5.3B
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Liberty buys Telefónica’s Costa Rica assets after failed Millicom deal
Latin LawyerLatin Lawyer
Baker Botts Represents Liberty Latin America in its Acquisition of Telefonica’s Operations in Costa Rica
Liberty Latin America buys Telefónica Costa Rica
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Baker Botts’ Tax Department Maintains Winning Streak in Chambers
Baker Botts Represents Bristow in its Completed Merger with Era
Ithaca Acquisitions Holdings, LLC's Acquisition of Pipe Fabrication Business from McDermott International, Inc.
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Represents McDermott International, Inc. in Sale of Pipe Fabrication Business
Sprague Resources LP's $1.18 Billion Senior Secured Amended and Restated Credit Facility
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
Baker Botts Represents Sprague Resources LP in its $1.18 Billion Senior Secured Amended and Restated Credit Facility
Baker Botts’ Band-1 Lawyer Rankings Increase by 38% in Chambers USA 2020
Bristow Group's Merger with Era Group – Global Legal Chronicle
Global Legal ChronicleGlobal Legal Chronicle
CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 13 Firms, 62 Lawyers, $7.43B
Texas Lawbook, TheTexas Lawbook, The
Baker Botts Represents Bristow in Merger with Era
Baker Botts Snags Executive Pay Lawyer From Jones Day
Law360Law360
Baker Botts Welcomes Robin Melman as Executive Compensation Partner in New York
Thought Leadership
ISS and Glass Lewis Release U.S. Policy Updates for 2023 Annual Shareholder Meetings
Client UpdatesCorporate Update
SEC Adopts Significant Changes to 10b5-1 Trading Plans
Client UpdatesCorporate Update
SEC Adopts Rules on Clawback of Executive Compensation
Client UpdatesCorporate Update
Q&A Overview of Final Pay Versus Performance Disclosure Rules
Client UpdatesTax Update
SEC Proposes Significant Changes to 10b5-1 Trading Plans and Enhancements to Insider Equity Compensation Disclosure
Client UpdatesCorporate Update
Equity Plans: Interaction of Tax, Securities, and HR Issues
Speeches & PresentationsTechGC's 6th Annual Fullstack Conference
Executive Compensation: To Accelerate or Not to Accelerate? That is the Question
Client UpdatesExecutive Compensation Update
ISS Issues FAQs on Compensation Disclosure and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Client UpdatesExecutive Compensation Update
Electronic Disclosure 2.0 - Department of Labor Offers New Electronic Disclosure Guidance Designed to be "Future-Proof"
Client UpdatesEmployee Benefits Update
Coronavirus Tax Response
Client UpdatesTax Update
COVID-19 Relief and Guidance for Employee Benefit Plans from Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Department of the Treasury
Client UpdatesEmployee Benefits and Executive Compensation Update
IRS Issues FAQs on the CARES Act Coronavirus-Related Distribution and Loan Provisions for 401(k) and 403(b) Plans
Client UpdatesEmployee Benefits and Executive Compensation Update
Utilizing the Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act in Situations of Uncertainty
Client UpdatesTax Update
ISS and Glass Lewis Issue New Guidance on Compensation Issues
Client UpdatesEmployee Benefits and Executive Compensation Update
Implications for Emerging Companies in the CARES Act and PPP
WebinarBenefits Issues Arising from the COVID-19 Crisis
WebinarPrivate Equity Guide - COVID-19: Private Equity Firms and Portfolio Companies
Client UpdatesCorporate Update
CARES Act - Employee Benefit and Executive Compensation Implications
Client UpdatesEmployee Benefits and Executive Compensation Update
Events
Recent
Baker Botts Event for Women in Tax, Featuring Myrtle Jones, SVP-Tax, Halliburton
Baker Botts Event for Women in Tax, Featuring Heather Crowder, Phillips 66, VP and General Tax Officer
Please join the women in tax at Baker Botts for the final virtual networking event of 2021 designed for women in-house tax professionals on Monday, December 13 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT.
Baker Botts Event for Women in Tax, Featuring Carla Howard, Vistra Energy, SVP-Tax
Please join the women in tax at Baker Botts for the the second of our networking events designed for women in-house tax professionals on Thursday, August 26 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. CT.
Baker Botts Inaugural Event for Women in Tax
Please join the women in tax at Baker Botts LLP for the first of our networking events designed for women in-house tax professionals on March 4 at 10:30 a.m. CT.