Mano DeAyala is a senior partner of Buck Keenan LLP. He serves as counsel to individuals and companies in various industries. His practice concentrates on disputes arising in the oil and gas, contract, real estate, construction, business torts, corporate governance, and employment law fields and involves the representation of clients in domestic and international matters. He has achieved the highest possible peer rating, AV Preeminent, by Martindale-Hubbell, for professional and ethical excellence by his peers. For more than a decade, Mano has been recognized as one of the top Texas Lawyers by Texas Super Lawyers and as one of the top lawyers in the US by Best Lawyers® in America.
Community Leader
Mano’s fast paced law practice has not stopped him from finding time to serve his community. Mano is a member of the “C” Club of Houston having served on the executive committee since 2012 and as President in 2017. He is currently a Trustee of the Houston Region Business Coalition. In April 2017, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Mano to a six-year term on the board of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice where he serves as the Chair of the Business & Finance Committee and also serves as Trustee of the Windham School District. In July 2020, the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, appointed Mano to a three-year term as an arbitrator to adjudicate trade disputes under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”).
Experience
Mano has served on the Board of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance and the Hispanic Republicans of Texas since 2012 and as Chairman since 2017. As chair of Engage Texas, Mano worked closely with the leadership to register over 120,000 conservative Texas voters last election cycle, the largest effort of its kind. In 2020, he served as pro bono election integrity counsel for the Harris County Republican Party. Mano has also served on SBISD’s Finance and Long-Range Planning committees and as a board member of Heritage Ed, a prospective K-8 charter school serving northwest Houston. With the Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association (SBMSA), Mano was a longtime youth football coach and has served as a board member since 2012.
texas roots
Along with his four brothers and wife Melissa, Mano graduated from Spring Branch ISD schools, including Memorial High School. He received a BBA (Finance) Degree from the University of Texas (McCombs School of Business) and his law degree from Southern Methodist University. Mano’s sons are also products and graduates of SBISD schools. Mano is fluent in Spanish.
Life
Mano and his wife, Melissa, have been married for 30 years and reside in Houston with their three sons, Marcus, Matthew and Mitchell. They are members of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.
