Chord Energy’s Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary Shannon Kinney ’05 grew up near Dallas in a family deeply immersed in high-achieving professions. Her father, a surgeon turned attorney, was a major influence. “My dad went to law school when I was in sixth grade, so it was always something I was interested in,” Kinney said. “I knew I didn’t want to be a trial lawyer like he was, but I admired his work and his ability to combine medicine and law.” Her mother, a CPA, and her stepmother, a commercial real estate developer, also shaped her understanding of the world of work.
She attended the University of Texas, where she majored in advertising with a concentration in business. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my career while I was in college,” Kinney said. Uncertain about the path forward, Kinney moved with friends to a resort town in Colorado and supported herself by working multiple service industry jobs simultaneously.
“Working that hard and living paycheck to paycheck gave me the conviction I needed to go back to school,” Kinney said. She returned to Austin and clerked for a law firm while studying for the LSAT and applying to law schools. During that time, a company called Enron was at the center of a huge scandal that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. “I was fascinated by it all, and that’s when I decided I wanted to specialize in corporate and securities law.”
In 2002, Kinney moved to Houston to attend South Texas Law, though she didn’t plan to stay long. “I didn’t intend to stay. People from Dallas don’t like Houston,” she said, smiling. But what began as a temporary stop became home. Kinney found herself drawn to the academic rigor of STCL Houston and the close-knit community that supported her. “South Texas Law had an exceptional program, and I formed such close relationships with my professors that the school became my family in Houston.”
South Texas Law shaped Kinney’s understanding of herself and her career possibilities, and Professors Shelby Moore and Maxine Goodman were crucial in her development. Moore inspired Kinney with the belief that students at South Texas Law had access to opportunities equal to those at Ivy League schools. Goodman, who taught Legal Research and Writing, nurtured Kinney’s confidence, encouraging her to explore the world of legal writing. As a result, Kinney found herself interning for an appellate judge at the First Court of Appeals one summer.
After passing the bar, Kinney was an associate at Bracewell LLP and at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. She then decided to work as in-house counsel. “I had great experiences in private practice, but I wanted to have a more strategic role, to influence one ‘client’ rather than advising several from the outside,” she said. After serving as deputy general counsel and corporate secretary handling general corporate matters at TPC Group, Kinney joined ConocoPhillips. She served in positions of increasing responsibility with a focus in corporate securities, governance, mergers and acquisitions, global compliance, and ethics, eventually becoming vice president, deputy general counsel, chief compliance officer, and corporate secretary.
Kinney, a wife and mother of two, thrives in her role at Chord Energy, where she is not just a lawyer, but a valued business partner. “My voice is heard at the table in a way that allows me to do so much more than practice law. In this position, I have opportunities to learn and lead.” She manages the company’s legal, human resources, real estate/facilities, sustainability, community affairs, and communications groups. She has received multiple national honors and awards from professional organizations.
Mentorship has been important to Kinney’s success. Throughout her career, both formal and informal mentors have guided her. “None of us get to where we are alone,” she says. “It’s important to give back.” She now mentors others, believing that the cycle of support is vital.
Serving on several nonprofit boards, including just finishing an eight-year term at Arms Wide Adoption Services, allows Kinney the opportunity to give back to the community. “My experience at South Texas taught me the importance of being part of something bigger than yourself,” she said.
