Kevin Vela is the Managing Partner at Vela Wood, a boutique business law firm in Texas. He focuses his practice in venture financing, M&A, fund representation, and gaming law. He has represented startups and investors in hundreds of financing transactions ranging from angel rounds through Series C. Kevin also teaches venture transactions courses at UT Austin School of Law and SMU Dedman School of Law.
Kevin is deeply rooted in the Dallas community. He serves as a mentor for RevTech Ventures, co-manages Blossom Street Ventures, and is a fluent Spanish speaker committed to serving the broader Dallas community – including providing bilingual legal representation on request.
Kevin has been recognized on the Super Lawyers lists from 2021–2026, named one of D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas eight times – most recently in 2026 – and is a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, an honor granted to just 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys.
A UT Austin graduate with a BBA in Finance and J.D. with Honors, Kevin was raised in Arlington and is a proud Dallas native. He and his wife Layla are parents to two children, Ariana and Arman.
