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Michael T. Keester Michael T. Keester

Michael “Mike” T. Keester

Shareholder & Director

T 918-594-0457 | F 918-594-0505

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Mike has been a litigator for over 40 years and has handled many types of civil cases.  He has experience in various litigation-including tort and insurance defense, nursing home malpractice, legal/accounting/professional malpractice, Governmental Tort Claims Act/Municipal and public entity defense, contract disputes,  and other civil cases.  Currently, he concentrates his practice in the Complex Business Litigation arena and construction law-including not just litigation but drafting/negotiating construction contracts with owners, contractors, subs and vendors. He also has experience serving as an arbitrator.

Mike has represented insurance carriers, agencies of the State of Oklahoma, public trusts such as the Tulsa Airport Authority, Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority, City of Tulsa,  Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, engineering and architectural companies, construction firms, banks and financial institutions, legal and accounting professionals, manufacturers and home builders, owners, as well as many corporations, businesses and individuals.

Mike is a Senior Member of the firm's Board of Directors and has an AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell. In addition, he has been named a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America. 

Education

  • University of Oklahoma College of Law (J.D., with honors, 1984) (Order of the Coif)
  • University of Oklahoma (B.A. in Political Science, with distinction, 1981) Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Oklahoma (1984)
  • Oklahoma Supreme Court 
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
  • 1993 - Present Hall Estill
  • 1984 - 1993 Jones, Givens, Gotcher, Bogan & Hilborne
  • Recognized as Best Lawyers' Tulsa Lawyer of the Year in Construction Law in 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2025
  • Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America in Litigation-Construction, Litigation-Municipal and Commercial Litigation
  • Recognized as a Super Lawyer in Oklahoma in Civil Litigation Defense and Construction Litigation
  • Recognized as a Super Lawyer in Oklahoma, Top 50 Lawyer
  • Recipient of the Tulsa County Bar Association Distinguished Service Award
  • Member, Board of Directors & Secretary, Hearts for Hearing
  • American Heart Association (Past Director)
  • University of Oklahoma College of Law Alumni Association (Director, Past President)
  • Vice-Chairman, City of Tulsa Ethics Advisory Committee
  • American Bar Association - Member, Litigation and Construction Law Sections
  • Oklahoma Bar Association - Member, Civil Procedure Committee
  • Tulsa County Bar Association - Member, Professional Responsibility, Professionalism (Chairman), Law Day Committees
  • American Inns of Court
  • Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel (Director)
  • Association of Defense Counsel, Board of Directors, Distinguished Service Award in 2005
  • Defense Research Institute