Why Choose The Kelly Law Firm?

JOHN P. KELLY is the trial lawyer of The Kelly Law Firm. He is a dual Florida board-certified litigation lawyer--both as a civil trial lawyer and as a business litigation specialist. He is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society of less than one-half of one per cent of American lawyers. His skills as a trial lawyer have been recognized by peer groups with the highest recognition, such as AVVO (“superb” 10.0 rating), Superlawyers (“seriously outstanding”) and the Martindale-Hubble Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (“AV” rating).

Mr. Kelly has tried over 160 jury trials in federal and state court throughout the United States, and he has participated in hundreds of arbitrations, mediations and other alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) proceedings. Mr. Kelly formerly was an equity partner with the law firms of Fleming, O’Bryan & Fleming, Gunster, Yoakley, Valdes-Fauli & Stewart, and Lorusso, Loud & Kelly LLP for over 25 years. He is a graduate (magna cum laude) of The College of the Holy Cross and Vanderbilt Law School, where he was a member of The Vanderbilt Law Review.

Mr. Kelly's practice focuses on sophisticated complex business litigation and related business counseling.

Mr. Kelly’s specialty as a trial lawyer and business litigator encompasses a diverse field of law, including intellectual property, antitrust, employment law, corporate and securities law, ERISA, personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, insurance coverage, and probate law. He has obtained significant verdicts and settlements as a trial lawyer, including a $13 million settlement for adopted descendants of a trust creator and $6 million and $2.6 million jury verdicts in corporate “squeeze-out” cases, as well as significant awards in other defamation, banking, employment, intellectual property, probate and personal injury matters.

Mr. Kelly has represented both individuals and major Fortune 500 companies in litigation both in Florida and throughout the United States. He regularly appears in all Florida state courts and in federal courts in Florida and other states. He also has argued over thirty appeals at all appellate levels and is admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as numerous federal district courts throughout the United States.

Mr. Kelly is a founding member of the Intellectual Property Institute ( www.ipitrial.com) He is also a founding member and director of the South Florida Irish-American Chamber of Commerce (www.sfiacc.org). He is a member of the Board and past p[resident of the St. Thomas More Society of South Florida (www.redmass.com).

Mr. Kelly has been a featured speaker at numerous seminars on business litigation law and trial practice throughout Florida, and also has participated as a speaker at an international conference on employment law in Kitzbuhel, Austria and at the Harvard Club in New York City. He is the past-president of the St. Thomas More Society of South Florida (www.redmass.com). He has published numerous articles on business litigation law and trial practice, including the section on business entity litigation in the Florida CLE Manual, "Business Litigation In Florida."

Mr. Kelly is an award-winning wildlife photographer, as well as an avid scuba diver, skier, fisherman, and gardener.