Overview
Kelly is a seasoned litigation partner with the firm’s litigation group. She has over 19 years of litigation experience in defending complex legal matters across a wide range of practice areas. Her practice includes assisting clients with disputes involving personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, medical malpractice, toxic torts, and premises liability actions. Known for her strategic approach and exceptional courtroom presence, she has consistently achieved favorable outcomes for her clients, including dismissals, settlements, and favorable verdicts.
Throughout her career, Kelly has represented individuals, corporations, and insurers, providing a comprehensive defense in high-stakes legal disputes. She is highly skilled in managing all aspects of litigation. Her deep understanding of legal nuances, coupled with her meticulous attention to detail, has earned her a reputation for providing effective and practical legal counsel.
Experience
- Successfully secured the dismissal of a complaint on behalf of a construction client, achieving a favorable outcome without the need for settlement contribution.
- Successfully mediated a complex wrongful death case, securing a favorable result for the client while navigating sensitive confidentiality concerns and addressing potential public relations issues.
- Defeated co-defendant’s motion for summary judgment based on governmental immunity to ensure that the client was not left bearing full responsibility for the case.
- Secured a favorable settlement for a transportation client in a complex personal injury case involving a catastrophic accident.
- Defeated co-defendant’s motion for summary judgment based on the co-defendant’s claims for contractual defense and indemnification.
Credentials
- Suffolk University Law School (J.D. 2005)
- Providence College (B.A., summa cum laude, 2000)
- University of Lund, Sweden (Comparative Law, 2003)
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Selected as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2021 -2025 in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.
- Named a Rhode Island Rising Star, 2013, 2014, and 2015, by the publishers of Super Lawyers.
- Considerations for eDiscovery of Remote Work Applications, AP&S Business Blog, April 20, 2021.
- Co-moderator, Repairing the Breach: Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Matters to Lawyers in Rhode Island; hosted by RI Women’s Bar Association, June 2021.
- Moderator, 2020 Newsmaker: Featuring Lara Montecalvo, Head of the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office; hosted by RI Women’s Bar Association & RI Lawyers Weekly, November 2020.
- COVID-19 and Senior Living and Long-Term Care Facilities, AP&S Business Blog, March 13, 2020 (co-author).
- You’ve Been Served: Responding to a Third-Party Subpoena, AP&S Business Blog, February 12, 2019.
- Moderator, How to Make & Handle Deposition Objections, Rhode Island Bar Association Annual Meeting, June 2016.
- Damages: Legal, Practical and Pragmatic Considerations of Value Assessment, Defense Counsel of Rhode Island, May 2011.
- Board Member and Past President, Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association.
- Member, Rhode Island Bar Association.
- Member, American Bar Association.
- Member, Defense Research Institute.
- Member, Women’s Business Council, Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Tomorrow’s Women Today, Rhode Island Chapter
- Secretary, Board of Directors, Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.
- Grant Committee, Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.
