BOSTON, MA (April 30, 2012) – Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, is pleased to announce that Paul Kelly has joined the firm’s Boston office as Partner. Mr. Kelly brings to Jackson Lewis many years of senior management experience in collegiate and professional sports in addition to being a seasoned and highly regarded litigator in the Boston area.
He joins Jackson Lewis from College Hockey, Inc., the educational and promotional arm of NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey representing 58 colleges and universities across the United States, where he created and established the entity and served as its Executive Director since November 2007. Before joining College Hockey, Inc., Mr. Kelly was Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association for two years, representing the 740 professional hockey players of the NHL.
In addition to his sports industry experience, Mr. Kelly has practiced law in Boston for over 25 years. He began his legal career at Ropes & Gray and spent a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting several important and high-profile federal criminal cases, including the successful prosecution of Alan Eagleson, the former head of the NHLPA and prominent sports agent, on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Upon leaving the Department of Justice in 1996, Mr. Kelly joined Foley Hoag LLP as a trial lawyer. In June 2000, along with two additional partners, Mr. Kelly founded the specialty white collar criminal defense and litigation boutique of Kelly, Libby & Hoopes. He has extensive litigation experience including white collar criminal defense, government investigations, internal investigations, corporate compliance, workplace violence, complex civil litigation and crisis management.
At Jackson Lewis, Mr. Kelly will add valuable expertise to the firm’s Collegiate and Professional Sports Practice Group, which provides clients counsel and advice in navigating the maze of complex rules and guidelines that govern the sports industry. The group regularly advises college and university level clients on compliance issues relating to the many nuances of the NCAA and NAIA rules and regulations and the application of federal laws such as Title IX and the Equal Pay Act. On the professional level, the firm assists franchises with the ever increasing application of federal and state law to the world of professional sports.
“I am thrilled to join Jackson Lewis and return to the full-time practice of law in Boston,” said Paul Kelly. “I am looking forward to contributing to the firm’s already impressive national sports law practice. The changing economics of professional sports along with ever shifting collegiate sports guidelines create an increasing demand for skilled representation to institutions and sports organizations.”
“Paul’s experience and contacts in professional and collegiate sports, opens up new opportunities for Jackson Lewis to expand our growing sports practice group. Also his great expertise as a trial lawyer with big case experience as well as his reputation and visibility in the Boston area will help us serve new and existing clients” said Andrew C. Pickett, Managing Partner of Jackson Lewis’ Boston office. “We are excited to have him join us.”
“I am very pleased that Paul will be joining Jackson Lewis where he will bring his considerable expertise and experience”, said Patrick L Vaccaro, Firm-wide Managing Partner. “It is not every day to get the opportunity to attract a person with this combination of talent and gravitas. Having helped launch the Firm’s Collegiate and Profession Sports Practice group, I am very proud of how far we have come in such a relatively short period of time, however, Paul is uniquely positioned to move us to an even higher level. In addition, his high profile jury trial experience will add immeasurably to an office of outstanding litigators.”
Mr. Kelly has been listed in Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America since 2006 and voted as one of the top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts for several years. He has also been listed as one of the 50 most influential people within the sport of ice hockey by The Hockey News for the past five years. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and a committee member of USA Hockey in Colorado Springs. Mr. Kelly is a frequent speaker and panelist at seminars and conferences addressing various legal and sports topics. He graduated from Boston College in 1977 and earned his J.D. from University of Toledo College of Law in 1980. He and his wife live in Needham, MA.
Jackson Lewis’ Boston office can be reached by calling (617) 367-0025.
About Jackson Lewis
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis, dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law, is one of the fastest growing workplace law firms in the U.S., with over 700 attorneys practicing in 49 locations nationwide. We have a wide-range of specialized practice areas, including: Affirmative Action and OFCCP Planning and Counseling; Disability, Leave and Health Management; Employee Benefits, including Complex ERISA Litigation and Executive Compensation; Global Immigration; Labor, including Preventive Practices; Litigation, including Class Actions, Complex Litigation and e-Discovery; Non-Competes and Protection Against Unfair Competition; Wage and Hour Compliance; Workplace Safety Compliance and Corporate Diversity Counseling. In addition, Jackson Lewis provides advice nationally in other workplace law areas, including: Reductions in Force, WARN Act; Corporate Governance and Internal Investigations; Drug Testing and Substance Abuse Management; International Employment Issues; Management Education, including e-Based Training; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Public Sector Issues; Government Relations; Collegiate and Professional Sports; and Privacy, Social Media and Information Management.
For the 11th consecutive year, Jackson Lewis has been recognized for delivering client service excellence to the world’s largest corporations, once again earning a spot on the BTI Client Service A-Team. Jackson Lewis has also been recognized by in-house counsel of Fortune 1000 companies after a comprehensive survey, as “the single highest-ranked firm clients want by their side in employment battles.” In addition, Jackson Lewis is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the category of Labor and Employment Litigation, as well as in both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms,” and is recognized by Chambers and Legal 500. As an “AmLaw 100” firm, Jackson Lewis has one of the most active employment litigation practices in the United States, with a current caseload of over 5000 litigations and approximately 300 class actions. And finally, Jackson Lewis is a charter member of L & E Global Employers’ Counsel Worldwide, an alliance currently of 12 workplace law firms in 12 countries.
Additional information about Jackson Lewis can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com.
For more information, please contact:
Lara Hamm
T: (703) 483-8373
Email: hamml@jacksonlewis.com