Rachel Roosth
Biography
Rachel Roosth is a disputes lawyer based in Houston. She is a member of the Commercial and Energy Disputes team and the Co-Lead for ESG and Human Rights. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and ESG risk advisory services. Her clients include individuals and companies from the healthcare, insurance, energy, construction, real estate, and financial services industries.
Rachel's litigation and arbitration practice encompasses matters involving contract, construction, employment, real estate, and fiduciary law. Rachel has advised clients on the formation, modification, and termination of their internal and external business relationships. She has advised on the employment and severance agreements of highly-paid professionals. She has defended and prosecuted claims related to corporate governance, partnership, executive employment, and business divorces. She has handled business torts and related statutory claims, like breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and fraudulent transfer claims. She has handled a variety of contract disputes, including disputes related to LLC, vendor, earnout, employment, independent consultant, construction contractor, and asset purchase agreements.
Rachel also advises clients on mitigating litigation risks related to environmental sustainability, human rights, and ESG reporting. Rachel collaborates with domestic and international colleagues to offer clients a multidisciplinary approach to addressing legal ESG concerns.
Rachel focuses on understanding and attaining the client's objective, whether the objective is to avoid litigation, obtain a favorable settlement, vindicate the client's rights before a tribunal, or resolve a dispute through a mutually-beneficial business solution.
Rachel frequently presents Continuing Legal Education courses to attorneys, including courses on ESG, oral advocacy skills, attorney ethics, and the attorney-client privilege.
Professional experience
Representative experience
Representative experience
- Represented private equity funds in disputes with independent contractor related to claims of partnership, breach of fiduciary duties, fraudulent transfers, and copyright violations.
- Defended oilfield services company against $100 million claim for breach of earnout agreement and obtained award from arbitration panel that opposing parties take nothing on their claims.
- Obtained arbitration award in favor of pipeline operator against in-line inspection company for damages related to a failed crude oil pipe.
- Obtained arbitration award in favor of plaintiff LLC member who was removed from LLC and deprived of membership distributions by remaining members.
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of subcontractor after independent investigation revealed statutory bar to all of general contractor's claims.
- Obtained denial of temporary injunction seeking to restrain real estate company from transferring or encumbering real estate in which plaintiff claimed a profits interest.
- Represented minority LLC member on claims that majority owner misused LLC's assets for the benefits of its other portfolio companies.
- Represented logging while tripping (LWT) company against claims of breach of contract and fraud in relation to a lost-in-hole tool.
- Represented general contractor of condominium hotel against claims alleging over $40 million in construction defects.
- Represented international real estate development company in prosecuting claims against participants in a kickback scheme.
- Represented real estate-related companies against allegations that they violated copyrights related to pictures of real estate.
- Obtained dismissal of securities litigation case in which plaintiff sought $400 million in damages for class members.
- Represented telecommunications company against the SEC's allegations of Regulation FD violations.
- Advised clients on risks related to pollution, climate change, human rights, and ESG reporting.
Rankings and recognitions
Rankings and recognitions
- Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation, Lawdragon, 2023 - 2024
- Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce Women in the Fast Lane of STEAM Role Model, 2023
- Texas Rising Star, business litigation, Thomson Reuters, 2015 - 2020
- Pro Bono College, State Bar of Texas, 2011
Education
Education
JD, Harvard Law School, 2010
BA, magna cum laude, Political Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006
While in law school, Rachel was the HL Central Co-Director of Sponsor Relations, a student attorney in the Harvard Capital Punishment Clinic, a supervising student attorney in the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project, and a subciter for the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology and the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Rachel also conducted extensive research on collateral consequences of conviction in Vermont for a member of the Uniform Law Commission.
While at the University of Missouri, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, the University of Missouri Honors College, and the Civic Leaders Internship Program (CLIP). Through CLIP, Rachel completed internships with the Missouri House of Representatives and the Boone County Public Defender's Office. Rachel also volunteered as a tutor for elementary school students at Centro Latino, a non-profit organization serving the Latino community in Columbia, Missouri.
Rachel studied Argentine history and Spanish at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina during the summer of 2006.
Rachel is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Admissions
Admissions
- Texas State Bar
Publications
Publications
- Texas Practice Guide: Evidence (Thompson Reuters 2024)
- Texas Practice Guide: Evidence (Thompson Reuters 2023)
- "ESG Litigation: A Top Concern for Financial Institutions in 2023," Banking Exchange, March 28, 2023
- "The Dangers of Doing Good: Litigation Risks from Public ESG Statements and How to Mitigate Them," ICLG - Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2022.
- Co-author of "Autonomous Vehicles: "It's all about you!" The integration of biometrics into autonomous vehicles" Section 3, Norton Rose Fulbright - Autonomous Vehicles White Paper, Volume 4, July 2019
- Co-author, "Autonomous Vehicles: "Pedal to the metal or slamming on the brakes?" Worldwide regulation of autonomous vehicles," United States insurance section, Norton Rose Fulbright - Autonomous Vehicles White Paper, Volume 3, September 14, 2018
- Co-author, "Autonomous Vehicles: The Legal Landscape of Dedicated Short Range Communication in the US, UK, and Germany," United States insurance section, Norton Rose Fulbright - Autonomous Vehicles White Paper, Volume 2, July 12, 2017
- Editor-in-Chief, Harris County Bench Book, ALM, 2013
- Contributing Editor, Harris County Bench Book, ALM, 2012
Speaking engagements
Speaking engagements
- "Ethical Issues Under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct Involving Credits for CCUS and Greenwashing," Special Institute on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage, March 2024
- "2024 Annual Litigation Trends," Association of Corporate Counsel Houston, February 2024
- "Environmental, social and governance (ESG) trends," Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP's Annual Business Litigation Trends Summit, March 2022, January 2023, January 2024
- "Ethics from the Movies," and "Lights! Camera Ethics!" Continuing Legal Education courses, multiple versions from 2019 through 2025
- "ESG Is Here: Environmental, Social, and Governance Trends" for the healthcare and life sciences sector, May 2022
- Dacey, Owen, host. "RE #2: ESG risks and exposures for directors & officers." Rising Edge D&O Podcast, 6 Nov. 2021, https://podcasts.apple.com/cl/podcast/re-2-esg-risks-and-exposures-for-directors-officers/id1590726168?i=1000541018418&l=en-GB.
- "Unmasked: Firm Management after COVID," Continuing Legal Education Course, May 2021
- "Recent Developments in ESG stakeholder sentiment, reporting, and the road ahead," Continuing Legal Education Course, April 2021
- "Autonomous Vehicles: Legal Ramifications for the Insurance Industry," Continuing Legal Education Course, March 2018
Memberships and activities
Memberships and activities
- Houston Association of Women Attorneys
- Houston Young Lawyers Foundation Fellow
- Houston Bar Foundation Fellow
- Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow
- Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Houston Office Clerkship Committee, Member (2013 - 2016), Chair (2015 - 2016), Co-Hiring Partner (Summer 2021 - Summer 2023)
- Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Pro Bono Committee (2023)
- Co-Chair of AVDA's End Abuse Awareness Breakfast (2018, 2019)
- Volunteer for Tunnels to Towers Veterans Pro Bono Clinic
- Volunteer for the Constitution Project (November 2016)
- Assisted with the review of Oklahoma's historical implementation of the death penalty for the benefit of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission
- Volunteer for Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program (HVLP)
- Represented individuals in complex divorce proceedings on a pro bono basis
- Volunteered at multiple legal advice clinics, including veterans' clinics
- Volunteered at George Bush Intercontinental Airport to provide legal advice to individuals with travel and immigration concerns
- Volunteer for Houston Bar Association Legal Lines
- Volunteer for TexasLawHelp.org
- Participant in the City of Houston Municipal Court Attorney Loan Program (2014)
- Tried class C misdemeanors in Houston municipal court as part of the attorney loan program
- Represented petitioner in pro bono case filed pursuant to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
Insights and news
Insights
