Overview
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 The Best Lawyers in America© "Ones to Watch" recognition for Commercial Litigation (2021-2022).
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 (2021-2022)
- Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars (2022)
- 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
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
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
News & Events
News
Licensed In
- Ohio
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio