With years of experience representing an international retailer on the development of over 100 properties, Kelly guides clients through every aspect of the real estate, land use and construction related components of a project. Kelly leverages this multifaceted experience to counsel clients from project inception to completion, and works closely with members of executive leadership and in-house counsel to develop a strategy that includes identifying, understanding and minimizing inherit risks.
Real Estate
Kelly’s real estate experience includes preparing and negotiating easement and development agreements; performing real estate due diligence for mergers and acquisitions; preparing and negotiating commercial purchase and sale agreements for real property; and negotiating commercial leases for tenants and landlords.
Commercial Lending
Based on her years of industry experience, Kelly provides a “lenders perspective” when representing financial institutions and other borrowers in complex commercial lending transactions. This experience includes handling all real estate and land use aspects associated with a loan to secure real property.
Land Use
She regularly represents landowners and developers in reviewing and analyzing municipal zoning ordinances, building codes, and state and local law relative to project entitlements and zoning matters. Kelly’s land-use counsel also includes ensuring State Environmental Quality Review Act compliance and regulatory approval from state and federal agencies.
Kelly’s clients include, among others, international, national and local retailers, development companies, real estate investment trusts, financial institutions, professional service providers, renewable energy companies, municipalities, utility companies, and health care providers.
Representative Experience
- Provide ongoing representation to an international retailer on the acquisition of real estate throughout the U.S.
- Serve as counsel to a management company for a Real Estate Investment Trust on numerous dispositions of real estate held by the REIT throughout the U.S.
- Represented a Canadian-based company on the acquisition, financing and incentive-based state and county financing for a 13-acre property in the U.S.
- Provide ongoing representation to a financial institution on the acquisition and sale of real estate for branches throughout New York State.
- Represented a real estate development company in the purchase of nine retail stores throughout the U.S. as part of a 1031 exchange.
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- Susan B. Anthony House
- Former Trustee; Member, Governance Committee; Secretary, Executive Committee
- Former Chair, Harter Secrest & Emery Diversity Committee
- Member, Harter Secrest & Emery Management Committee
- Member, New York State Bar Association
- Member, Monroe County Bar Association
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Chambers USA from 2017-2020 in the field of Real Estate
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field Land Use & Zoning Law and Real Estate Law
- Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2013-2015
- Recipient, “Forty Under 40” Award, Rochester Business Journal, 2013
- Recipient, "Up and Coming Attorney" Award, The Daily Record, June 2007
- Recipient, Monroe County Volunteer Legal Service Project, “William E. McKnight Volunteer Legal Service” Award, November 2005
Publications
- Author, "Building Boon: 485-b Program Offers Property Developers Valuable Benefits," The Daily Record, August 28, 2020
Admissions
- New York
Education
- Albany Law School, J.D., cum laude
- University at Buffalo, B.A., magna cum laude
Languages
- Greek