When resolution by mediation or settlement fails, Kelly is ready to take his clients’ cases before juries. Recent trials have produced a $4 million jury verdict against the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District for the death of a pedestrian struck by one of its buses, a $5.6 million jury verdict against a Super Shuttle driver for the death of a retired restauranteur, a $12.75 million recovery against a domestic automaker(auto rollover), a $10.5 million settlement for the wrongful death of a single mother, and a major 8-figure confidential settlement against Kaiser Health Plan for a catastrophically injured infant. His $8.35 million verdict on behalf of a construction worker who lost an arm showed his skill in work-site injury cases. His $23.2 million jury verdict in a birth injury medical malpractice case in Minnesota ranks among that state’s largest verdicts for obstetrical injury.
Beyond stellar results for his clients, Kelly is proud of his many contributions to the legal community. He is a speaker for 360 Advocacy for whom he chairs its annual Trucking Litigation program. He teaches regularly for NITA, The Rutter Group, ABOTA, the Consumer Attorneys of California, AAJ, SFTLA, and the Bar Association of San Francisco. He served for 10 years as the Director of Teacher Training programs for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and remains a member of its Board of Governors. He has long been active in protecting the rights of the underrepresented, working for pedestrian and bicyclist safety, lobbying for compensation fairness for medical malpractice victims, and protecting the rights of the LGBT community.
He has been elected as the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the California Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. His teaching has earned him the Consumer Attorneys of California Robert E. Cartwright Award as well as the Robert Oliphant Award presented by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.
He holds an “AV” rating (highest rating) from Martindale-Hubbell, and holds membership in the country’s most selective legal honorary societies including the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers (for whom he served as President in 2012-2013), the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, The Summit Council, and The Irish Legal 100. He graduated summa cum laude from St. Mary’s College of California in 1973. He obtained his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1976. He was an Assistant Professor of Law at Hastings from 1981 to 2001.
Representative Cases
- Urban Tenant v. Real Estate Manager – Property Defect / Quadriplegia, $42,000,000 Settlement
- Rogers v. Associated Clinics – Obstetric Malpractice / Brain Injury, $23,200,000 Jury Verdict
- Goodloe v. Bell Sports, Inc. – Defective Bicycle Helmet / Brain Injury, $17,000,000 Jury Verdict
- Rachel K. v. Truck Line Operator – Bicycle v. Semi-Truck / Catastrophic Injuries, $15,000,000 Settlement
- Tourist v. Sierra Resort – Fall on Hotel Premises / Paraplegia, $14,000,000 Settlement
- Teen v. Auto Component Re-Seller – Vehicle Stability Failure / Paralysis, $12,500,000 Settlement
- Survivors v. General Contractor – Construction Site Injury / Wrongful Death, $10,500,000 Settlement
- Family of H. v. UpRight, Inc. – Defective Industrial Product / Wrongful Death, $10,000,000 Settlement
- Infant v. Obstetrician – Negligent Delivery / Brain Damage – $9,950,000 Settlement
- Neonate v. OBGYN Group – Delayed Cesarean Delivery / Cerebral Palsy, $9,500,000 Settlement
- Twins v. Fertility Center – Fertility Clinic Negligence / Congenital Disease, $9,500,000 Settlement
- Dahl v. Stone M.D. – Paraplegia / Medical Malpractice, $9,420,840 Jury Verdict
- Perry v. Budget Rent-A-Car – Automobile Accident, $8,775,000 Jury Verdict
- Kammerer v. Alimak Hek, Inc. – Construction Site Fall / Arm Amputation, $8,350,000 Jury Verdict
- Kransky v. DePuy Inc. – Defective Metal on Metal Prosthetic Hip, $8,300,000 Jury Verdict
- Widow v. National Package Delivery – Truck v. Auto Collision / Wrongful Death, $7,750,000 Settlement
- Infant v. HMO – Gynecology Negligence / Birth Injury, $7,500,000 Settlement
- Henry V. v. PG&E – Electrocution / Utility Negligence, $7,000,000 Settlement
- Child v. Pediatric Neurosurgeon – Quadriplegia / Surgical Error, $6,350,000 Settlement
- Family v. S.F. Hospital – Wrongful Death / Medical Malpractice, $5,850,000 Settlement
- Johnston v. American Honda Motor Co. – Product Liability / Wrongful Death, $5,760,000 Jury Verdict
- Software Engineer v. Hospital Corp. – Failure to Diagnose Aneurysm / Brain Damage, $5,475,000 Settlement
- Diana C. v. Device Maker – Defective Medical Device / Paralysis, $5,250,000 Settlement
- Kim v. Super Shuttle – Auto Accident / Wrongful Death, $5,176,000 Jury Verdict
- Richard L. v. HMO – Failure to Diagnose Spinal Abscess, $5,250,000 Settlement
- Serviceman v. Foreign Auto Maker – Defective Seat Belt/ Traumatic Brain Injury , $4,850,000 Settlement
- Olivier v. Petroleum Supplier – Loss of Leg / Motorcycle Accident, $4,500,000 Settlement
- Student v. Valley Unified School District – Negligent School Supervision Paraplegia, $4,500,000 Settlement
- Richard T. v. HMO – Brain Damage – Failure to Diagnose Cardiomyopathy, $4,250,000 Settlement
- Grotenhuis v. Golden Gate Bridge Transportation District – Bus Strikes Pedestrian / Wrongful Death, $4,000,000 Jury Verdict
- Machinist v. Industrial Machine Design – Product Liability / Brain Damage, $4,000,000 Settlement
- Jastrab v. Kelada – Failure to Diagnose Infection / Permanent Leg Injury, $3,170,000 Jury Verdict
- Ethier v. Poindexter – Wrongful Death of Child, $3,030,000 Jury Verdict
- Student v. Daimler-Chrysler – Defective Seatbelt / Spinal Cord Injury, $3,000,000 Settlement
- Michael N. v. U.S. Automaker – Vehicle Stability Defect / Rollover Accident, $2,900,000 Settlement
- Baby Y. v. Sutter Health – Failure to Diagnose Kernicterus, $2,900,000 Settlement
Honors, Professional Affiliations and Associations:
- Martindale-Hubbell, “AV” Rating (highest rating; received annually each year since first rated in 1982)
- Member, Inner Circle of Advocates
- Member, The Summit Council
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member
- International Society of Barristers, Fellow; President (2012 – 2013); Member, Board of Governors (2002 – 2012)
- Member Irish 100
- California ABOTA, Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2014
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2010 (also nominated 1999, 2001, 2008)
- Law Dragon 500 (2014-2020; Inducted in LawDragon Hall of Fame 2021)
- Listed, “The Best Lawyers In America” (1995 – 2022; “Lawyer of the Year”, Plaintiff’s Mass Torts, 2017)
- Top Ten Northern California “Super Lawyers” (2007- 2012; 2017- 2022)
- American Board of Trial Advocates San Francisco Chapter, President (2010); National Board Member (2002 – 2014)
- Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Member Board of Trustees (2010 -2013)
- Recipient, CAOC Robert Cartwright Award for Teaching Trial Advocacy (2012)
- Recipient, Robert Oliphant Award for Teaching Excellence, N.I.T.A. (2011)
- Award of Merit, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2014, 2017
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Member; Board of Trustees (2002 – 2021)
- U.C. Hastings Foundation, Member Board of Trustees (2010 – 2022)
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, President (1996); Executive Board Member (1990-1995)
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Program Director: West Coast Teacher Training (2001 – 2010); Harvard Teacher Training (2005 – 2008); Colorado Teacher Training (2006 – 2007); New York Teacher Training (2009 – 2012)
- Judicial Council of California, Member, Commission on the Future of California Courts (2015 – 2017)
- Judicial Council of California, Member, Jury Instruction Task Force (2000 – 2003)
- Judicial Council of California Advisory, Member, Committee on Civil Jury Instructions (C.A.C.I.) (2004 – 2022)
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Finalist, Consumer Attorney of the Year (2008, 2010, 2014)
- San Francisco Superior Court Judge Pro Team
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Member: Judiciary Committee; Litigation Section Executive Committee (2001 – 2006)
- San Francisco Superior Court Judicial Arbitration Arbitrator Selection Committee, Member (1998 – 2008)
- American Association for Justice, Member
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Member
