Practice Areas & Legal 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.

With over four decades guiding Texas families and executors through probate and estate succession, Joan Kehlhof structures clear, tax-conscious instruments and resolves complex multi-asset estates—including commercial realty and oil & gas royalties—with sensitivity and precision.

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

Texas real estate transactions demand rigorous attention to title chains, mineral reservations, and statutory lien requirements. WHK LLP protects property rights from earnest money contract through closing—and in the courtroom when disputes arise.

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.

Operating businesses need seasoned counsel who understand both courtroom risk and balance-sheet realities. Joan Kehlhof serves as a trusted legal advisor to business owners navigating growth, partner transitions, and regulatory obligations.

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.

Admitted to all four federal districts studied in her practice—including the Southern, Northern, and Western Districts of Texas and the Central District of Illinois—plus the U.S. Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit, Joan Kehlhof prepares every dispute with trial-tested discipline.

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

Decades of litigating contested contracts inform how WHK LLP drafts transactional documents: eliminating ambiguity, securing collateral under the Texas Business & Commerce Code, and protecting client leverage.

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

Headquartered in the energy capital of the world, WHK LLP bridges Texas real property, probate, commercial litigation, and energy law to safeguard mineral estates and commercial energy operations.

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

Appellate and federal specialty courts require rigorous statutory analysis and persuasive written advocacy. Admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit, and U.S. Tax Court, Joan Kehlhof brings 46+ years of analytical depth to every brief and negotiation.