Kelly Rentzel Discusses Financial Services Experience in The Texas Lawbook Interview

Bradley counsel Kelly Rentzel was interviewed by The Texas Lawbook about her experience in banking, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. She discussed how Bradley is helping meet growing client demand in Dallas and across its financial services practice.

The Texas Lawbook: What about Bradley’s banking and financial services platform made this the right place for you to bring your GC experience back to a law firm?

Kelly Rentzel: The primary partners in my group, Jacque Kruppa and Robert Flowers, build trusted relationships with their clients. Both have been called on to serve in “fractional GC” capacities at smaller banks, and that was a role I knew I could serve in immediately. They also have a booming M&A practice, and, having been through various M&A events as a GC, I believed I could both contribute to and learn from that work.

TL: When you thought about going back to a firm after substantial GC roles, what were the one or two non negotiables you were looking for in a platform or culture at the firm?

Rentzel: My only child is a rising high school junior who challenges herself in school and in her sport, volleyball. I knew I had to find a place where I could be present for her in her last two years at home, and Bradley worked with me to develop a reduced-hours counsel role. I also wanted to be in a place where I could grow my practice once the nest is empty, and Bradley’s favorable billing rates and full-service offerings made it a great fit.

TL: How do you plan to translate your experience as a GC for Bradley’s banking and financial services clients?

Rentzel: For a GC, three things are paramount: business, budget, and brevity. After 13 years in-house, I am hard-wired to be mindful of all three at all times.

TL: From your GC perspective, what did you most wish outside counsel understood better about banks and growth companies, and how are you going to build that into how you serve clients at Bradley?

Rentzel: Time is an incredibly valuable resource for growth companies. If a GC arranges a meeting between an outside lawyer and the CEO, outside counsel needs to keep his points relevant and concise. It seems simple, but I have watched multiple CEOs walk out of long-winded lawyer presentations, leaving an unfortunate GC to pick up the pieces.

TL: How excited are you to work alongside Jacque Kruppa?

Rentzel: She is a force of nature, and I know I am going to learn a lot from her. In just a couple of weeks, I have seen how gifted she is at being able to describe where we are and what she needs. That’s the kind of talent a client may not see, but it saves a lot of time and money. Plus, she launched a successful 501(c)(3) that helps underprivileged kids play club soccer. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing she can’t do!

Truly, the whole Dallas team is exceptional. I was also impressed that Bradley has deep bench of banking lawyers throughout its office network who collaborate with each other. If there’s a specialty, someone here does it.

TL: Is there anything that we didn’t touch on that you feel is relevant to your move to Bradley?

Rentzel: I had heard about Bradley’s culture for years, and many of my favorite lawyers (Will Snyder, Ladd Hirsch, etc.) worked here. Rob Sayles is our managing partner, and his father, Dick Sayles, was one of my cherished early mentors. I never thought I’d be back in a firm after a 20-year absence, but the quality of the people here, both as lawyers and individuals, made the choice an easy one.

The full interview, “Catching up with Kelly Rentzel as In-house Veteran Joins Bradley’s Dallas Office,” was published by The Texas Lawbook on May 31, 2026.