Kelly A. Callam

Kelly specializes in estates and trust litigation, as well as in sweepstakes/games of skill promotional counseling and charitable raffle counseling for both corporate and non-profit clients.

Kelly also maintains a diverse general business litigation practice representing closely held and publicly traded business clients on a wide variety of complex commercial and business matters including:

• Commercial Contract Disputes
• Post-Closing Disputes
• Real Property Disputes
• Employment Disputes
• Business Torts
• Securities Investigations/Actions

Kelly frequently provides litigation counsel to municipalities on various public law issues as well.

She received a 2021 The Best Lawyers in America©: Ones to Watch recognition for Commercial Litigation.

Prior to joining Calfee in 2014, Kelly served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Donald C. Nugent in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Honors & Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America© Ones To Watch, Commercial Litigation (2021)
• CALI awards in Legal Writing, Property, Legal Ethics, and American Legal History

Education

J.D., summa cum laude, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Executive Editor of the Cleveland State Law Review, 2014

B.A., magna cum laude, Political Science, University of Dayton, 2011

Lexis-Nexis Professional Research Certification

Experience

Estate and Trust Litigation:

• Obtained early dismissal with prejudice of all claims brought against Trustee of multiple trust accounts.

General Business Litigation:

• Obtained early dismissal with prejudice of discrimination claims brought against one of Calfee’s privately held clients.
• Obtained favorable early settlement of business tort claims brought by one of Calfee’s publicly held clients resulting in a multi-million settlement for Calfee’s client.

Sweepstakes and Games of Skill Promotions and Consumer Laws Counseling:

Kelly has counseled corporate clients on a number of sweepstakes and games of skill promotions as well as counseled non-profit organizations on charitable raffles, including counseling on the legality of promotions and charitable raffles; the structuring and implementation of promotions/raffles and their governing rules to comply with federal, state, and local statutes, regulations and common law; the use of social networking media in promotions; and protection against unintended liability resulting from promotions and charitable raffles.

Representative sample of promotional and raffle counseling provided to clients by Kelly:

• A slot tournament promotion with the chance to win a $1 million prize.
• Counseling on charitable raffles conducted by two different 501(c)(3) entities.
• Promotion involving a series of sweepstakes involving online gaming.
• Contest involving submission of a photo and essay to promote manufacturer’s new flooring product.
• Promotion involving series of sweepstakes to celebrate retail client’s 40th business anniversary, culminating in grand prize of new vehicle lease.
• Baseball-themed sweepstakes promotion for international manufacturer and supplier of professional cleaning supplies.

Professional & Community

• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member and Volunteer with CMBA's 3R's Mentoring Program
• CollegeNow Mentor
• Frequent volunteer with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland