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Kevin J. Kelehan
By Special to The Daily Record
//May 15, 2018
Kevin J. Kelehan
Partner
Carney Kelehan Bresler Bennett & Scherr, LLP
Kevin J. Kelehan is a superb real estate transactional lawyer. For 40 years, he has worked diligently to ensure the availability of market rate and affordable housing throughout the region. He has a national reputation for representing landowners and developers in the contract/entitlement process, choice of entity and working with equity partners, general contractors and other design professionals, lenders and municipalities and housing authorities.
“Throughout my career, I have used my professional talents for the good of the community,” said Kelehan.
As a member of the Howard County’s Housing Commission since 1994 and chair from 1999 to 2006 and long-time member, Kelehan played an integral role in overseeing the county’s Section 8 and housing programs and developed numerous affordable projects. He has served as a volunteer on the Howard County Core Service Agency Task Force which formed the county’s quasi-public Mental Health Authority. He was also chair of the Howard County Affordable Housing Task Force and served on the Howard County Representative Payee Program for 12 years. He also served on the board for the Voices for Children for 13 years.
Since 2003 Kelehan has been the general counsel on a pro bono basis for the Columbia Festival of the Arts and was honored with the county arts councils “Howie” Award as the distinguished Business Support of the Arts in 2012. His professional awards include Howard Community College “Trustee Award” for outstanding service; U.S. News, “Best Lawyers” construction lawyer of the year 2017; U.S. News “Best Lawyers” real estate Lawyer of the Year, 2012, 2013, 2014; and the Maryland State Bar Association’s “Herbert Garten Pro Bono Service Project” award. He led a team of attorneys at the firm that won the Herbert Garten award, which recognized their achievement of the sale of Community Homes Housing in Howard County to a local nonprofit to preserve more than 300 units of low-income housing for the community — at the risk of converting to market rate — all at no fee.
