Admitted 1979 · 46+ Years of Texas Legal Practice

Principled Counsel. Four Decades of Courtroom & Transactional Authority.

Joan Kathryn Kehlhof ("Joni"), Principal of Wist Holland Kehlhof LLP (WHK LLP), represents business owners, families, executors, property investors, and commercial creditors across Houston and the State of Texas.

1979

J.D., Univ. of Houston Law Center

46+ Yrs

State Bar of Texas #11181500

U.S. & TX

Supreme Court, 5th Cir. & Tax Court

Schedule a Consultation Explore 7 Practice Areas Call (713) 686-5444

Joan Kathryn Kehlhof

Principal Attorney · WHK LLP

8584 Katy Freeway, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77024

(713) 686-5444 · joan@whkllp.com

Comprehensive Legal Representation

Seven Core Practice Areas

Direct partner-level representation across transactional, probate, real estate, energy, litigation, creditors’ rights, and appellate matters.

§ 01 Texas & Federal

Estate Planning & Probate

Wills, Trusts, Independent & Dependent Administration, and Fiduciary Counsel

Comprehensive estate architecture and probate representation in Harris County and surrounding Texas statutory probate courts, protecting family wealth, closely held businesses, and mineral estates across generations.

▪ Custom Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, and Testamentary Trusts
▪ Independent & Dependent Estate Administration and Muniment of Title
▪ Determination of Heirship & Small Estate Affidavits
▪ Executor, Administrator, and Trustee Fiduciary Representation

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§ 02 Texas & Federal

Real Estate Law

Commercial & Residential Acquisitions, Leasing, Title Curative & Property Disputes

Strategic counsel for commercial property owners, investors, developers, landlords, and tenants across acquisition, financing, leasing, title resolution, and real property litigation throughout Texas.

▪ Commercial & Industrial Property Acquisitions and Dispositions
▪ Retail, Office & Industrial Commercial Lease Drafting and Negotiation
▪ Title Examination, Title Defect Curative & Quiet Title Actions
▪ Deed Restrictions, Easements, Right-of-Way & Boundary Disputes

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§ 03 Texas & Federal

Business & Corporate Law

General Commercial Law, Entity Structuring, Governance & Outside General Counsel

Lifecycle legal counsel for closely held enterprises, professional practices, and family-owned companies—from Texas entity formation and governance to succession, restructuring, and day-to-day operational risk management.

▪ Texas LLC, Corporation, and Limited Partnership Formation & Structuring
▪ Company Agreements, Bylaws, Buy-Sell & Shareholder Agreements
▪ Corporate Governance, Officer/Director Fiduciary Duty Counsel & Resolutions
▪ Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances & Business Reorganizations

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§ 04 Texas & Federal

Commercial Litigation

Trial & Bankruptcy Court Advocacy in State and Federal Venues

Decisive litigation representation in Texas District Courts, County Civil Courts at Law, and U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts across complex business, contract, creditor, and fiduciary controversies.

▪ Breach of Contract, Commercial Collection & Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Claims
▪ Partnership, LLC Member & Closely Held Shareholder Disputes
▪ Creditors’ Rights, Adversary Proceedings & Bankruptcy Litigation (Ch. 7, 11, 13)
▪ Fraud, Misrepresentation & Breach of Fiduciary Duty Actions

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§ 05 Texas & Federal

Contracts & Transactions

Precision Commercial Drafting, Asset Purchases & Secured Transactions

Clear, enforceable transactional agreements engineered to allocate risk accurately, protect cash flow, and prevent avoidable litigation before signatures are exchanged.

▪ Asset Purchase Agreements (APAs) & Stock/Membership Interest Transfers
▪ Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Vendor & Supply Chain Contracts
▪ Commercial Loan Documents, Security Agreements & Personal Guaranties
▪ Non-Disclosure, Non-Solicitation & Executive Employment Agreements

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§ 06 Texas & Federal

Oil, Gas & Energy Law

Mineral Estates, Energy Service Contracts, Royalties & Surface Use Counsel

Trusted legal representation for mineral interest owners, operators, landmen, and oilfield service companies across Texas shale plays and Gulf Coast energy corridors.

▪ Oil, Gas & Mineral Lease Negotiation, Review, and Addendum Drafting
▪ Mineral & Royalty Conveyances, Reservations, and Division Order Analysis
▪ Surface Use Agreements, Pipeline Easements & Right-of-Way Negotiations
▪ Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) & Oilfield Master Service Agreements

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§ 07 Texas & Federal

Civil Appellate & Dispute Resolution

Fifth Circuit & Texas Appeals, Bankruptcy, Creditors’ Rights & Tax Controversies

Principled appellate advocacy, federal tax and bankruptcy dispute resolution, and structured mediation strategy designed to preserve error, overturn adverse rulings, or achieve durable settlements.

▪ Texas Courts of Appeals (1st & 14th Houston Districts and Statewide) Briefing & Argument
▪ U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit & U.S. Supreme Court Admissions
▪ Trial-Level Error Preservation, Dispositive Motions & Post-Verdict Motions
▪ Bankruptcy Appeals, Relief from Stay & Creditors’ Rights Enforcement

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Attorney Profile · Principal Counsel

Joan Kathryn Kehlhof

University of Houston Law Center, J.D. (1979) · State Bar of Texas (Admitted 1979) (Bar Card #11181500)

Since earning her Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center and entering the State Bar of Texas in 1979, Joan Kathryn Kehlhof ("Joni") has practiced law continuously for more than 46 years. As the sole principal carrying forward the legacy of Wist Holland Kehlhof LLP (WHK LLP), she provides clients with direct, senior-attorney counsel rather than delegating critical matters to junior associates.

Her career spans complex commercial litigation, federal bankruptcy and creditors’ rights across three Texas federal districts and the Central District of Illinois, U.S. Tax Court representation, Texas probate and estate administration, commercial real estate transactions, and oil, gas, and energy law.

Read Full Biography & Credentials Contact Houston Office

Bar & Judicial Roll

Bar & Federal Court Admissions

TX Bar #11181500

State Bar of Texas

Admitted 1979 · Bar Card #11181500 · Active Member in Good Standing
Supreme Court of the United States

Admitted Counselor & Attorney at the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Federal Appellate Jurisdiction (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi)
United States Tax Court

Federal Tax Controversy & Deficiency Litigation
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts — Southern District of Texas

Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Laredo & McAllen Divisions
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts — Northern District of Texas

Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo & Wichita Falls Divisions
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts — Western District of Texas

Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Waco, Midland-Odessa, Del Rio & Pecos Divisions
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts — Central District of Illinois

Federal District & Bankruptcy Court Admission

Proven Experience Across Venues

Representative Areas of Counsel

Estate Planning & Probate

Multi-County Texas Probate & Mineral Estate Administration

Guided independent executors and family beneficiaries through complex Harris County probate administration involving commercial real estate, closely held business interests, and producing Texas oil and gas royalty interests.

Commercial Litigation & Creditors’ Rights

Federal Bankruptcy & Commercial Creditor Enforcement

Represented secured and commercial creditors across Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 proceedings in the Southern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas, securing relief from the automatic stay, prosecuting adversary complaints, and protecting collateral.

Real Estate & Corporate Transactions

Houston Commercial Property Acquisitions & Corporate Structuring

Structured entity formations, commercial purchase and sale agreements, financing instruments, and title curative solutions for Houston-area business owners and commercial property investors.

Appellate & Tax Court Advocacy

Federal Tax Controversy & Appellate Briefing

Advocated for business and individual taxpayers before the United States Tax Court and handled civil appellate briefing and error preservation across Texas state and federal appellate venues.

Direct Counsel Inquiry · Houston, Texas

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