Shareholder, Corporate M&A Group Chair
Steve Kesten

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Having corporate, securities, bankruptcy and litigation experience, Steve Kesten is able to counsel firm clients in multiple areas of the law; however, his primary practice focus is transactional law.
Areas of Focus
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Private placements
- Private equity
- Finance
- General corporate
Quick Facts
- Association of Corporate Growth – Houston, President (2015 – 2016), Board of Directors
- The Entrepreneur Institute, Board Member
- Rotary Lombardi Award, Executive Board and former General Chairman
Awards & Recognitions
- Paul Harris Fellow awarded by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
- US News & World Report – Best Lawyers – Corporate Law (2021)
Having corporate, securities, bankruptcy and litigation experience, Steve Kesten is able to counsel firm clients in multiple areas of the law; however, his primary practice focus is transactional law. Steve's practice includes private placements and other sales and purchases of debt or equity securities; mergers, asset acquisitions and sales; formation and representation of private equity funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds; entity selection and formation (including drafting complex limited liability company and partnership agreements and corporate charters having multiple classes of common and preferred stock); and general contract review.
He also has experience representing both lenders and borrowers in asset-based lending transactions involving senior lenders, mezzanine lenders and factoring companies. Most recently, Steve’s practice has centered on the purchase and sale of middle-market companies, private placements, private equity and venture capital investment and representing foreign companies with the expansion of their businesses into the United States, in particular the State of Texas.
Steve has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Houston since 1992. During that time, he served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Rotary Lombardi Award, and was the General Chairman of the event in 1997. The Rotary Lombardi Award honors the outstanding college lineman of the year while raising significant contributions benefiting the American Cancer Society. In 2007, Steve was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for his 15+ years of "service above self" on behalf of the Rotary Club.
Steve is also deeply involved with the Houston Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), having been elected to multiple leadership positions. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of ACG since 2011 and was the President of the Chapter for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Steve is an active member of the Houston Bar Association Mergers & Acquisitions Section, serving as a Council Member, as Chairman of the Section for its 2014-2015 fiscal year and as Treasurer in 2013. Steve is a graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future which focuses on resolving some of Houston’s most difficult social and economic issues.
Education
- JD, University of Houston Law Center (cum laude)
- BBA, University of Texas (with high honors)
Affiliations
- Houston Private Equity Association, Board Member
- The Entrepreneurship Institute, Member Firm Board Representative
- Association for Corporate Growth - Houston, Board of Directors, President (2015-2016)
- Houston Bar Association, Council Member, Mergers & Acquisitions Section Chair (2014-2015)
- Texas Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Community
- Center for Houston's Future, Leadership Forum Class of 2017
- Rotary Club of Houston, Lombardi Award Executive Committee and Hospitality Chairman
- Houston Health Museum, Gala Sponsor Committee (2011)
- Houston Chapter of the American Cancer Society, former Board Member
- 10.18.22
Eight BoyarMiller Shareholders Named in 2022 Texas Super Lawyers List - 08.18.22
The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Recognizes 13 BoyarMiller Attorneys - 09.22.21
Seven BoyarMiller Shareholders Selected to 2021 Texas Super Lawyers List - 08.18.21
Thirteen BoyarMiller Attorneys Recognized By Best Lawyers in America© in 2022 Edition - 04.12.21
ACG Recognizes Four BoyarMiller Client Transactions Finalists In Prestigious 2020 Deal of the Year Awards - 10.09.18
Experts Advise a Strong Economy Plus Rising Interest Rates Indicate a Time to Plan, Not Panic - 01.08.18
Two BoyarMiller Client Transactions Named Finalists in ACG Houston Deal of the Year Awards - 10.16.17
BoyarMiller Capital Markets Forum Reveals Strong Business Confidence; Available Investment Capital Provides Options for Growth - 07.27.17
Clients Honor BoyarMiller in BTI Power Rankings 2017 Independent Report; Cites Firm as Having “Strongest Client Relationships” in Energy Industry, Again - 05.11.17
BoyarMiller Represented Digerati Technologies, Inc. in Acquisition Deal - 03.06.17
Steve Kesten Selected for Center for Houston’s Future Business/Civic Leadership Forum - 10.11.16
Private Equity, Slow Economic Recovery and Low Interest Rates Dominate Discussion at 2016 BoyarMiller Capital Markets Forum - 07.16.16
BTI Power Rankings 2016 Names BoyarMiller as a “go to” Firm for Clients in the Energy Industy - 04.04.16
Strong Demand, Excess Capacity Fuels Uncertainty in Oil and Gas Industry Cites Expert Panel at BoyarMiller Energy Forum - 09.30.15
Robust M&A Activity, Aggressive Lending Practices Balance Capital Markets; Experts Reveal Reasons at 2015 BoyarMiller Capital Markets Forum - 06.15.15
BoyarMiller’s Steven D. Kesten Elected Houston President of Association for Corporate Growth - 02.26.15
BoyarMiller Names Steve Kesten Business Group Chair - 07.24.14
BoyarMiller’s Steven D. Kesten Elected to Leadership Positions at Houston Bar Association and Association for Corporate Growth - 01.10.13
GulfStar Group Announces The Majority Recapitalization Of Core International, LLC By Rock Hill Capital Group - 12.05.11
GulfStar Group Completes Private Placement for Jones Industrial Holdings, Inc. - 01.07.11
Growth Capital Partners, L.P. Announce VLS Recovery Services, LLC. has Completed a Management Buyout - 12.28.10
Texas Lobo Trucking LLC Acquires Assets of New Mexico-based Lobo Trucking, Ltd. - 08.24.10
Follow-On Acquisition Made By Sunland Capital LLC’s First Acquisition - 04.11.10
Sunland Capital LLC Closes On First Acquisition - 11.09.09
Steve Kesten & Doug Parker Present At The Entrepreneurship Institute President’s Forum At Rice University
- 04.30.21
Does Your Favorite Local Restaurant or Bar Need Financial Help? The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Could Help! - 03.01.21
Moving to Texas? Don’t Leave Your Company Behind! - 02.24.21
It’s Back! More from the Paycheck Protection Program: First Time PPP Loans and Second Draw Loans - 02.01.21
More Money, Less Red Tape: SEC Revamps Private Offering Framework - 09.03.20
Accredited Access: SEC Adopts Expanded Definition of Accredited Investor - 07.06.20
More Clarification on Loan Forgiveness: Time Period to Apply and Added Borrower Protections - 07.06.20
UPDATE: More Guidance from The SBA: New Interim Final Rule with Guidance on The Paycheck Protection Program - 07.06.20
UPDATE: Please Forgive Me! Loan Deferment and Loan Forgiveness Under The Paycheck Protection Program - 06.23.20
Calling it EZ Doesn’t Make it Easy –SBA Updates the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application - 06.18.20
UPDATE: How Can I Use My PPP Loan Proceeds? - 06.11.20
Make Up Your Mind! The Fed Amends the Main Street Lending Program Again - 06.05.20
SBA Loosens Up and Passes Flexibility Act - 05.26.20
Rules of Forgiveness: SBA Provides Further Guidance - 05.20.20
Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission: SBA publishes the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application - 05.19.20
Another Day, Another Interim Final Rule (or 4!) - 05.14.20
Sweet Relief For Borrowers With PPP Loans of Less Than $2 Million - 05.09.20
Things Keep Changing! BoyarMiller gains further insights from the SBA - 05.01.20
UPDATE: Main Street on the Move: Expansion of Main Street Lending Program - 04.25.20
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Rules: Amendment To and Further Guidance on the CARES Act - 04.10.20
Local Stimulus For Small Businesses - 04.10.20
New Stimulus: Now For Middle Market Businesses - 04.04.20
Is Your Business Ineligible For A PPP Loan? - 03.27.20
Loans Galore! Here’s What Passed the Senate and the House - 03.26.20
Financial Relief Resources – What You Can Be Doing Now! - 03.25.20
Will the new $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill Benefit You? - 03.24.20
Should I Stay Home? And Other Essential Questions… - 03.23.20
Economic Stimulus for the Middle Market - 11.01.19
The Impact of Tariffs and Their Chilling Effect On U.S. Business - 08.23.17
Change to Regulation D, Rule 504: A Step in the Right Direction to Help Raise Capital for Small Businesses - 06.23.10
Obama Proposes New Taxation of Private Equity Fund Managers’ Carried Interest - 10.27.09
When Selling Private Securities — No Limit on Number of Accredited Investors
Articles
- 12.21.15
BoyarMiller’s “Houston Commercial Real Estate Markets in 2016” eBook - 04.30.15
BoyarMiller’s “The Energy Industry 2015: What’s Next?” eBook - 10.09.14
BoyarMiller State of the Capital Markets eBook 2014 - 04.02.14
BoyarMiller Energy eBook 2014 State of the Industry - 09.13.13
BoyarMiller State of the Capital Markets eBook 2013 - 06.12.08
Equity Financing for Small and Mid-Size Businesses Raising Money Through the Sale of Unregistered Securities
Presentations
- 03.05.19
A Law To Think About: Entity Selection - 05.01.13
Teaching Moment: Convertible Security Anti-Dilution
Webinars
Steve Kesten was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022 for Corporate Law