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Macey Stokes Baker Botts Houston
Macey Reasoner Stokes
Partner | Practice Group Chair - Appellate (Firmwide)
[email protected]
Macey Stokes Baker Botts Houston
Macey Reasoner Stokes
Partner
[email protected]
DETAILS
Practices
Appellate and Supreme Court
Energy Litigation
Litigation
Details
Overview
Overview Admissions & Affiliations Experience News Thought Leadership Awards and Community
Practices
Appellate and Supreme Court
Energy Litigation
Litigation

Overview

Clients praise Ms. Stokes as "an outstanding appellate lawyer" and "one of the best appellate lawyers in the state."

Chambers USA 2024

 

 

 

Macey Reasoner Stokes heads the firm's Appellate section, which was ranked Band 1 in Litigation: Appellate - Texas by Chambers USA 2024 and 2023 and a National "Tier 1" Appellate Practice in the 2024 Edition of Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms. She received the 2022 Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation and the 2025 Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League. She was named one of the Top Ten Most Influential Texas Appellate Litigators by Business Today 2023 and selected as one of the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. She serves as a member of the Texas Supreme Court's Supreme Court Advisory Committee, a Past President and Governor Emeritus of the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, a Past President of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, and a Past Chair of the Appellate Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Over her 30-year career, Ms. Stokes has handled a wide variety of civil appeals and extraordinary proceedings in both state and federal court, with significant experience in appeals for oil and gas and other energy clients. She has frequently provided appellate assistance at trial in complex, high-stakes litigation.

She has been ranked Band 1 in Litigation: Appellate - Texas by Chambers USA in 2024 and 2023. She has been named to Super Lawyer's Top 100 Texas list for 2023, its Top 50 Women Texas list annually since 2021 (2016-2017, 2021-2023) and its Top 100 Houston list annually since 2016 (2016-2023), and Texas Lawyer's triennial "Winning Women" list in 2014.

Ms. Stokes has been Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1998. She served as a briefing attorney to Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1993 to 1994.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • American Law Institute
  • Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, Board of Governors, Governor Emeritus and Past President
  • Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • Champions of Justice Society of Texas Access to Justice Foundation, Guardian Member
  • Houston Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
  • State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section, Chair, 2015-2016
  • Supreme Court Advisory Committee of the Texas Supreme Court, Member, 2024
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, Greenhill Fellow, Past President
  • Texas Utility Lawyers Association, Elected Member
  • United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Eighth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits
  • United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas
  • United States Supreme Court

Education

  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law 1993
    with high honors
    Order of the Coif
    Associate Editor, Texas Law Review
    Chancellors
    Townes-Rice Scholar
  • B.A., History, Yale University 1989
    summa cum laude
    Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

  • Holding that written stipulation was effective to change non-participating royalty interest from fixed to floating, and reasoning that written agreements to settle matters of property ownership can be enforced without proof of uncertainty (ConocoPhillips v. Kenneth Hahn, 704 S.W.3d 515 (Tex. 2024))
  • Holding that Public Utility Commission of Texas acted within its statutory authority and complied with Administrative Procedure Act in issuing pricing orders during Winter Storm Uri to protect reliability of electric grid (Public Utility Commission of Texas v. Luminant Energy Co. LLC, 691 S.W.3d 448 (Tex. 2024))
  • Affirmance as modified judgment on jury verdict in oil-and-gas lessor’s suit for breach of lease and accommodation doctrine (Hamilton v. ConocoPhillips Co., No. 13-22-00096-CV, 2024 WL 484663 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi/Edinburg Feb. 8, 2024, no pet. (mem. op.))
  • Reversal in part of judgment on jury verdict in dispute between parties to joint operating agreement (Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC v. Matrix Petroleum, LLC, __ S.W.3d __, No. 04-18-00411-CV, 2023 WL 8897012 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Dec. 27, 2023, pet. granted and judgmt. vacated by agrmt.))
  • Conditional grant of mandamus relief directing dismissal under Rule 91a of Winter Storm Uri tort claims, holding that wholesale power generators owed no duty to retail customers to continuously generate electricity (In re Luminant Generation Co., __ S.W.3d __, No. 01-23-00097-CV, 2023 WL 8630982 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 14, 2023, orig. proceeding)
  • Affirmance as modified of judgment for defendant, holding that plaintiffs' nonsuit without prejudice of claims after prior appeal was ineffective in light of court of appeals’ prior affirmance of dismissal with prejudice of the same claims (Port of Corpus Christi, LP v. Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas, No. 13-21-00463-CV, 2023 WL 8817844 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi/Edinburg Dec. 21, 2023, no pet. h.) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of take-nothing judgment on jury verdict on misappropriation of trade secrets claims (FMC Technologies, Inc. v. Murphy, 679 S.W.3d 788 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2023, pet. denied))
  • Affirmance of summary judgment holding that mineral lessee “has the exclusive right to the oil and gas product stream, including the produced water” and therefore surface owner’s subsequent “produced water lease” to another party was “ineffective” (Cactus Water Servs., LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, 676 S.W.3d 733 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2023, pet. filed))
  • Affirmance of order remanding state-law trespass claim against port authority, holding that neither federal officer removal jurisdiction nor federal question jurisdiction existed (Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas v. Port of Corpus Christi, LP, 57 F.4th 432 (5th Cir. 2023))
  • Reversal of order dismissing Texas Public Information Act mandamus action, holding that plaintiff established a valid waiver of immunity and action was not moot (Muir v. University of Texas at Austin, No. 03-22-00196-CV, 2023 WL 4110843 (Tex. App.—Austin June 22, 2023, no pet. h.) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of modified judgment awarding $147 million for breach of contract after bench trial (Targa Channelview LLC v. Vitol Americas Corp., 653 S.W.3d 630 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2022, pet. denied))
  • Vacatur of preliminary injunction against defendant's use or display of mark on canned energy drink, finding no likelihood of success on the merits of coffee company's claims under the Lanham Act and NY trademark and unfair competition law (RiseandShine Corp. v. PepsiCo, Inc., 41 F.4th 112 (2d Cir. 2022))
  • Reversal and remand of court of appeals’ judgment against oil and gas lessee on lessors’ claims for breach of express covenant to protect against drainage and reinstatement of summary judgment for lessee on related tort and statutory claims (Rosetta Resources Operating, L.P. v. Martin, 645 S.W.3d 212 (Tex. 2022))
  • Reversal of jury verdict and rendition of take-nothing judgment for gas utility in personal injury suit, unanimously holding that limitation of liability in utility's RRC-approved tariff barred ordinary negligence claims of houseguests using gas services (CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. v. Ramirez, 640 S.W.3d 205 (Tex. 2022))
  • Affirmance of dismissal for lack of standing of takings, ultra vires, and several other claims against river authority arising from operation of hydroelectric dams (Williams v. Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, No. 04-20-00445-CV, 2021 WL 2814902 (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 7 2021, pet. denied) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of dismissal based on mootness and governmental immunity of numerous statutory, constitutional, and tort claims against port authority relating to crude oil export terminal (Port of Corpus Christi, LP v. Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, No. 13-19-00378-CV, 2021 WL 269772 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi/Edinburg July 1, 2021, no pet.) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of dismissal based on governmental immunity of takings claims against port authority arising from operation of dredge material placement area (Port of Corpus Christi, LP v. Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, No. 13-19-00304-CV, 2021 WL 499067 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi/Edinburg Feb. 11, 2021, no pet.) (mem. op.))
  • Reversal of multi-million-dollar judgment against oil and gas lessee and rendition of take-nothing judgment, holding that will bequeathing surface estate did not also devise underlying mineral estate that had been severed many years earlier (ConocoPhillips Co. v. Ramirez, 599 S.W.3d 296 (Tex. 2020))
  • Reversal and dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction of Mississippi plaintiff's claims against foreign corporation for injuries sustained on overseas oil platform (Chevron Thailand Expl. & Prod., Ltd. v. Taylor, No. 14-18-00540-CV, 2019 WL 6483116 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 3, 2019, no pet. h.) (mem. op.))
  • Reversal of judgment against operator, holding that parties’ agreements, which based the overriding royalty on the “amount realized” from the sale of oil and gas but set the valuation point for the royalty at or near the wellhead, unambiguously permitted operator to deduct post-production costs from overriding royalty payments (Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Co. v. Texas Crude Energy, LLC, 573 S.W.3d 198 (Tex. 2019))
  • Reversal and rendition of judgment for oil and gas lessee, holding that as a matter of law, horizontal well that lessee drilled in tight-shale formation complied with lease’s offset well clause, and rejecting attempts to inject additional requirements into clause’s plain language based on drainage principles applicable to vertical wells in conventional reservoirs (Murphy Exploration & Production Co.—USA v. Adams, 560 S.W.3d 105 (Tex. 2018))
  • Vacatur of jury’s award of damages for wrongful death based on discharge of claims in bankruptcy, and adoption of the “reasonably ascertainable” standard for measuring the constitutional adequacy of bankruptcy notices (Dahlin v. Lyondell Chem. Co., 881 F.3d 599 (8th Cir. 2018))
  • Reversal and dismissal of Texas residents’ personal injury claims for lack of personal jurisdiction over foreign corporation with its principal place of business overseas (Chevron Bangladesh Block Twelve Ltd. v. Baldwin, No. 01-17-00303-CV, 2017 WL 6043686 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 7, 2017, no pet.) (mem. op.))
  • Holding in case of first impression that utility could not be held liable for personal injuries from accident at intersection with inoperable signals resulting from power outage, because drivers’ failure to comply with traffic laws was an intervening and superseding cause of the accident (Rampersad v. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, 554 S.W.3d 29 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2017, no pet.))
  • Holding that purchaser of bankruptcy debtor’s assets was assigned environmental indemnity and defense obligations contained in oil and gas exchange agreement (Noble Energy, Inc. v. ConocoPhillips Co., 532 S.W.3d 771 (Tex. 2017), cert. denied, No. 17-1438, 2018 WL 1858882 (U.S. Oct. 1, 2018)))
  • Affirmance of summary judgment holding that as a matter of law, oil and gas lessee did not breach lease's offset well clause expressly incorporating reasonably prudent operator standard (Mzyk v. Murphy Exploration & Production Co., No. 04-15-00677-CV, 2017 WL 2797479 (Tex. App.—San Antonio June 28, 2017, no pet.) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of take-nothing judgment on jury verdict on claims for fraudulent inducement of settlement agreement resolving dispute over royalty interests in Syrian oil and gas properties (Syrian American Oil Corp., S.A. v. Pecten Orient Co., 524 S.W.3d 350 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2017, no pet.))
  • Affirmance of summary judgment for trustees and executors enforcing release against beneficiary’s breach of fiduciary, breach of contract, fraud, and other tort claims (Harrison v. Harrison Interests, Ltd., No. 14–15–00348–CV, 2017 WL 830504 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 28, 2017, pet. denied) (mem. op.))
  • Affirmance of dismissal of wrongful death claims alleging exposure to benzene through gasoline (Burst v. Shell Oil Co., 650 F. App’x 170 (5th Cir. May 23, 2016) (per curiam), cert. denied, No 16-241, 2016 WL 4479680 (Oct. 11, 2016))
  • Affirmance of dismissal of private nuisance and negligence claims alleging injuries from odors, noises, and toxic emissions from oil and gas operations, in opinion holding that plaintiffs must present qualified expert testimony to support such claims (Cerny v. Marathon Oil Co., 480 S.W.3d 612 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2015, pet. denied))
  • Reinstatement of summary judgment on defamation claims, in unanimous opinion holding that an absolute privilege protects a company’s statements made to the U.S. Department of Justice during an investigation of possible Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations (Shell Oil Co. v. Writt, 464 S.W.3d 650 (Tex. 2015))
  • Affirmance of take-nothing judgment for premises owner on claims for damages for mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, in unanimous opinion construing Chapter 95 of the Texas Civil Practices & Remedies Code as applying to claims for both premises defects and negligent acts of the property owner (Abutahoun v. Dow Chemical Co., 463 S.W.3d 42 (Tex. 2015))
  • Judgment declaring that the Harris County Flood Control District must pay AT&T’s expenses to relocate its facilities from a bridge designated for demolition by the District’s flood control plan, in unanimous opinion construing Section 49.223 of the Texas Water Code for the first time (Southwestern Bell Telephone, L.P. d/b/a AT&T Texas v. Emmett, 459 S.W.3d 578 (Tex. 2015))
  • Appellate member of trial team; mid-trial dismissal with prejudice of trade secret and interference claims seeking $1.37 billion from oil and gas company in February 2015 (Moncrief Oil Int’l, Inc. v. OAO Gazprom, 17th District Court of Tarrant County, Texas)
  • Affirmance of dismissal of novel “odorant fade” claims against gas utility (Canas v. CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.,418 S.W.3d 312 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2013, no pet.))
  • Affirmance of dismissal of aesthetic nuisance claim against wind farm (Ladd v. Silver Star I Power Partners, L.L.C., No. 11-11-00188-CV, 2013 WL 3377290 (Tex. App.—Eastland May 16, 2013, pet. denied) (mem. op.))
  • Appellate member of trial team; €765 million judgment on a jury verdict for breach of warranty and securities fraud in January 2013 (Liberty Media Corp. et al. v. Vivendi Universal, S.A., et al., U.S. Dist. Ct. S.D.N.Y.)
News
See More News
27 June 2025 News Coverage Lease Operator Owns ‘Produced Water,’ SCOTX Says
18 October 2024 News Coverage Siblings to receive ADL 2025 Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award
11 October 2024 News Coverage P.S. — ADL Honors Reasoners, Dallas Hispanic Bar Gala, Inns of Court Recognizes Partner
11 October 2024 News Release Baker Botts’ Partner Macey Reasoner Stokes to Receive Anti-Defamation League’s Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award 
06 September 2024 News Coverage The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
25 June 2024 News Release Baker Botts Secures Another Major Victory for Dril-Quip in Trade Secrets Dispute Offshore Technology
17 June 2024 News Coverage Court Gives No Relief to Energy Companies Slammed by Winter Storm Price Hikes
06 June 2024 News Release Baker Botts Earns 14 Band 1 Practice Rankings in Chambers USA 2024 Gold Stars
22 May 2024 News Coverage Texas Supreme Court affirms that Shell mineral deal conveyed all rights
31 January 2024 News Coverage Texas Supreme Court hears arguments on the high price of electricity during the 2021 blackouts
31 January 2024 News Coverage With Billions at Stake, Texas High Court Weighs Storm Uri-Related Price Hikes
31 January 2024 News Coverage Texas Justice Asks If Uri Pricing Kept State Out Of 'Stone Ages'
27 June 2025 News Coverage Lease Operator Owns ‘Produced Water,’ SCOTX Says
18 October 2024 News Coverage Siblings to receive ADL 2025 Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award
11 October 2024 News Coverage P.S. — ADL Honors Reasoners, Dallas Hispanic Bar Gala, Inns of Court Recognizes Partner

Awards and Community

Recognized in Chambers USA, 2007-2025 (Texas Appellate - Band 2, 2020-2022 and Band 1, 2023-2025)

Named one of the "Top Ten Most Influential Texas Appellate Litigators" by Business Today, 2023

Named as one of the "500 Leading Litigators in America" by Lawdragon, 2025

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.), Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation, 2005-2024

Listed in Who's Who Legal, Litigation (Law Business Research Ltd.), 2015-2021, & Commercial Litigation, 2012-2014, 2022-2024

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer, Appellate Law (Thomson Reuters), 2003-2023; named to Top 100 Texas list, 2023, Top 50 Women list 2016-2017, 2021-2023 and Top 100 Houston list, 2016-2023

Recognized as a Local Litigation Star-Texas and U.S., Benchmark Litigation, 2013-2023