TY KELLY

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BAKER DONELSON

A fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of Baker Donelson’s board of directors, Ty Kelly defends companies and individuals in government investigations, white-collar matters and high-stakes litigation.

Before joining Baker Donelson, she was an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland and a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s criminal fraud section.

Kelly was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in Spring 2019 and serves on the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Committee. Additionally, she previously served on the board of trustees for the Office of the Public Defender of Maryland, a position for which she was appointed by former Gov. Larry Hogan.

What’s the most important thing you do in your job?

There are many, but I’ll choose two. The first is to understand the needs and desires of my clients and then to represent them as best as I can to meet those needs and to achieve their desired outcomes. Second, is to teach and mentor young lawyers on how to do that.

What is one aspect of your profession you would like to change?

The indictment process. An indictment can be the death of a company and the dreams of a person, even if they are later acquitted. In white-collar cases, where I practice mostly, more openness to considering defenses before indictment could change the trajectory of some cases and lives.

If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?

I would work in mental health. There is such a shortage of mental health resources, especially for children.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's Criminal Law Power List for 2023. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.