Kristi C. Kelly is a consumer protection attorney with a genuine commitment to representing the most vulnerable – and often overlooked – consumers in federal and state courts in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Ms. Kelly is widely acknowledged as a leading expert in consumer law. In 2014, Virginia Lawyers Weekly recognized her as a “Leader in the Law,” an annual award given to attorneys that set the standard in their field, and one of the most prestigious honors a Virginia lawyer can receive. She is described by her peers as someone “who takes – and wins – the cases others won’t touch.”
Kristi specializes in assisting consumers with credit reporting and employment background check mistakes, mortgage servicing errors and abusive debt collection practices. She has successfully litigated hundreds of individual and class action cases against banks, brokers, auto dealers, online lenders, debt collectors, credit card companies, credit bureaus and foreclosure rescue scammers, receiving a $686,000 verdict in her first jury trial, in addition to her attorney fees from a foreclosure rescue scammer in 2010.
Kristi is a regular speaker on credit reporting and mortgage servicing issues for the National Consumer Law Center, National Association of Consumer Advocates, the Virginia Continuing Legal Education program, and various legal aid organizations throughout the country. She frequently volunteers her time to speak to various nonprofit and community organizations to train and educate individual and community stakeholders on their rights as consumers, and has been a presenter at various trainings on the statewide and local level focusing on foreclosure prevention, consumer rights for domestic violence survivors, landlord tenant law, predatory loans, dealing with debt collectors and understanding credit reports. Kristi also regularly volunteers her time to assist consumers and members of the active duty military and veterans in need who are referred from legal aid and other nonprofit organizations.
For over a decade, Kristi has worked with Virginia’s General Assembly to fight predatory loans, and has also testified before the General Assembly regarding various mortgage related and foreclosure reform bills. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Justice Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates. She is also on the Partner’s Council of the National Consumer Law Center.
Kristi was previously a shareholder at Surovell Isaacs Petersen & Levy and a housing and consumer law attorney for Legal Services of Northern Virginia. While at Legal Services, she co-founded the Foreclosure Legal Assistance Program to provide legal advice and housing counseling to prevent foreclosures. In that capacity, she supervised and trained a network of attorneys and staff throughout northern Virginia.
Upon graduating from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law, Kristi received the Nina R. Kestin award for her extraordinary contributions to the school, community and profession of law. She received her undergraduate degree cum laude from Dickinson College, where she was a four-year varsity soccer player.
Kristi lives in Oakton, Virginia with her husband, Matt and two sons, Joey and Charlie.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Selected as Capital Region’s Premier Lawyers, 2015
Wall Street Journal Article
Selected as a “Leader in the Law” Class of 2014
Leaders in the Law Article
Super Lawyer “Rising Star” – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
