Dickstein Shapiro’s State Attorneys General Practice continues its strategic advancement with the arrival of JB Kelly as a partner, resident in the Washington, DC office. Mr. Kelly joins the firm from the North Carolina Department of Justice, where he served as General Counsel to Attorney General Roy Cooper, responsible for major investigations, multi-state activities, and critical public policy issues. Mr. Kelly was principal liaison to all State Chief Deputy Attorneys General.
“JB is one of the most respected AG General Counsels in the country,” said Bernie Nash, head of Dickstein Shapiro’s State AG Practice. “He has built deep and trusting relationships with AG offices across the country, and has worked on major AG investigations and settlements over the past dozen years; our clients will benefit from JB’s brilliant big picture, strategic thinking.”
“I have spent many years in both public service and the private sector,” said JB Kelly. “I have great respect for Dickstein Shapiro, which has the best State Attorneys General Practice in the country. I am proud to join its practice.”
Mr. Kelly served as General Counsel to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper from 2001 to 2012, overseeing major litigation involving the State of North Carolina. He was a member of the negotiation teams in high-profile multi-state settlements involving mortgage foreclosure, Ameriquest, and tobacco, among others. He also oversaw the strategy, planning, and development of General Cooper’s 2011 National Association of Attorneys General Presidential Initiative focused on consumer protection strategies, analysis of Dodd-Frank provisions related to Attorneys General, and preventing future financial crises.
During that time he served in numerous leadership capacities for the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), including as General Counsel during General Cooper’s NAAG presidential term, as well as serving on its working groups for strategic planning and best practices, and its office review team. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Kelly was senior counsel at Employment Learning Innovations, and from 1994 to 1996, he was special counsel to North Carolina Attorney General Mike Easley on consumer protection and law enforcement issues. Mr. Kelly began his legal career at Hunton & Williams where he worked from 1984 to 1994. He earned his J.D., with honors, and his B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dickstein Shapiro’s State Attorneys General Practice provides clients with unmatched counsel and boutique-quality personal service with AG-related legal and policy matters through strong relationships built upon decades of experience with Attorneys General across the country. The largest of its kind, the State AG Practice has worked with Attorneys General offices for more than 30 years and strategically assists clients in establishing and maintaining strong connections with state AGs, as well as successfully navigating matters of State AG jurisdiction, including antitrust, complex litigation, consumer protection, data privacy, environmental, federalism, and public nuisance issues, among others.
