Kelly has represented the interests of healthcare providers, hospitals, and healthcare-related businesses throughout his career. He is an experienced litigator and advocate in healthcare liability matters; and he also assists clients in contract disputes, commercial litigation, and regulatory matters. Kelly regularly defends providers before Tennessee’s Health-related Boards.
Born and raised on a farm in Cheatham County, Tennessee, Kelly graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee with a degree in writing. After enlisting as a private in the Army, Kelly attained the rank of captain and completed assignments in both the continental United States and abroad, first as an Army scout, and later, as a military intelligence officer. After graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Kelly completed a two-year clerkship with Chief Justice Roderick T. Kennedy of the New Mexico Court of Appeals in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Kelly is rated AV–Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, and he devotes considerable time to professional and civic activities. He currently serves on the TBA’s Leadership Law Steering Committee, and he has served as both the Vice-Chair and Chair of the Leadership Law Alumni Association. Locally, Kelly serves on the Board of Directors of Knoxville’s Historic Bijou Theater.
Kelly has presented at numerous local and national events, including the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, the Hamilton Burnett Inns of Court, and various CLE courses for the Tennessee Bar Association. Kelly’s writing has appeared in multiple publications, such as Dicta, East Tennessee Medical News, and the Knoxville Academy of Medicine’s (KAM) quarterly magazine. He is a member of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, and the East Tennessee Historical Society. He is an advocate for veterans’ rights, and he is a member of the Veterans Foreign Wars of the United States. He has been inducted into both the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara (2004) and the Military Order of the Tennessee Ranger (1998).
Kelly enjoys spending time with his family and living a vigorous life. He builds furniture, collects guitars, and enjoys the outdoors.
