In recognition of her expertise in civil litigation and employment law, Kayna Stavast Levy, of counsel at Botkin Chiarello Calaf, has been selected to the annual Texas Rising Stars list.

A service-oriented attorney, Kayna brings a unique perspective to the firm, having worked as a antitrust attorney and federal judicial clerk before moving to private practice. In addition to her commercial litigation practice, she assists clients with employment issues, and recently expanded her practice guiding employers on access to healthcare issues.

“Kayna is an extraordinary attorney whose clients benefit from her experience working in government,” said managing partner Jennifer Rappoport Colimon. “As a result of her varied legal background, she brings a multidimensional approach to her work that sets her apart.”

Her academic experience also contributes to that multidimensional approach: As an economics and psychology major in college, she applies her knowledge of human behavior to her career as a lawyer.

As she recently explained, “Looking at legal conflicts from both perspectives – both the rational and perhaps more emotional components – can really move the ball. Even in the most vanilla contract dispute, the parties’ business incentives and the decisionmakers’ personal perspectives go hand-in-hand in driving outcomes.”

In addition to her legal work, Kayna has prioritized supporting the Austin community. She is a proud volunteer with Shalom Austin and a graduate of the 2022 Austin Young Lawyer Association/Austin Bar Association Leadership Academy. With her fellow Academy members, she fundraised for the renovation of a local witness interview room, which she also helped design. She also gratefully supports the community as a fellow of the Travis County Women Lawyers Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation.

The Rising Stars list is published by Super Lawyers and recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. To be eligible for Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less.