Chasless L. Yancy is a seasoned commercial litigator and strategic business attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing and advising businesses, lenders, property owners, and public entities in bankruptcy-related disputes, construction contracting and procurement matters, commercial real estate transactions, and complex business litigation. Her practice reflects a hybrid skill set ground in litigation strategy and reinforced by substantial transactional and in-house experience.
Chasless has substantial experience handling bankruptcy and creditor-rights matters, including the assertion and defense of claims in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 15 proceedings and related litigation. Her background includes developing and executing litigation strategies in high-exposure bankruptcy matters, including negotiating the resolution of a multi-million dollar preference action for less than one percent of the amount initially claimed.
Her construction practice focuses on contract drafting, negotiation, and procurement, with particular emphasis on supporting large-scale infrastructure and construction projects, including those funded through state and federal grants. While serving as in-house counsel, Chasless advised on construction contracts, procurement processes, and risk allocation for multi-million dollar public works projects, working closely with project managers, contractors, and procurement teams to ensure compliance and minimize downstream disputes.
Chasless also brings extensive knowledge in commercial real estate matters, including the negotiation and interpretation of complex commercial leases, licenses, and related agreements. Her work includes advising landlords, franchisors, and institutional property holders, with a practical focus on structuring agreements that align with business objectives while anticipating litigation risk.
In addition to her transactional practice, Chasless represents clients in commercial litigation in state and federal courts, including contract disputes, bankruptcy-related litigation, and other business-critical contested matters. Her transactional background informs a pragmatic litigation approach focused on efficiency, leverage, and outcomes.
Before joining Werner Ayers & McDonald LLP, Chasless served for 12 years at the Port of Houston Authority, where she was Assistant General Counsel. There she advised across construction, real estate, bankruptcy claims, procurement, port operations, environmental, and general infrastructure practice areas and managed outside counsel on significant matters. Earlier in her career, she practiced for more than a decade at Andrews Kurth LLP, focusing on commercial litigation and bankruptcy and restructuring matters.
Chasless earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a senior student editor of the American Review of International Arbitration, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas. She is admitted to practice in Texas with admission pending in Washington and before multiple U.S. District Courts.