While known as an experienced trial lawyer, Ty Kelly is also known for her instinct and judgment in identifying and developing successful defenses and strategic approaches to the threat of government action or litigation, often successfully persuading prosecutors and others to not bring charges or claims before matters are ever made public. Ms. Kelly's strength is in assessing quickly the appropriate approach depending on the circumstances of each case. Some of Ms. Kelly's current and former engagements include: the defense of a national opioid manufacturer in an action brought by the State of Maryland alleging unfair deceptive trade practices; the defense of a national government contractor in a False Claims Act case; the defense of the owner of a health care provider charged with major health care fraud offenses; and the defense of a CEO of a company charged with a conspiracy to violate national pesticide laws. Ms. Kelly has also represented numerous individuals in white collar criminal investigations and indicted cases in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and other jurisdictions. In civil matters, she has represented plaintiffs and defendants in commercial disputes. Ms. Kelly has also represented numerous clients in matters before various regulators, including various licensing boards and the Attorney General's Office of Maryland.
Prior to private practice, Ms. Kelly was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland for seven years. She prosecuted a wide variety of white collar crime and public corruption cases, including health care fraud, investment fraud, procurement fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and other economic crimes. She successfully handled cases from grand jury investigation through trial and appeal, resulting in several published Fourth Circuit opinions. She also served as the district's Election Official where she led the federal response to all federal election crime allegations in Maryland in coordination with the Department of Justice, state election officials, and state prosecutors. In addition, she served as the Procurement Fraud Coordinator for the District of Maryland.
Prior to becoming an Assistant United States Attorney, Ms. Kelly served as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, Fraud Section, after being admitted into the prestigious Attorney General Honors Program. As a Fraud Section trial attorney, she investigated and prosecuted significant white collar criminal cases. During her tenure at the Fraud Section, she also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia trying cases in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Ms. Kelly is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Ms. Kelly clerked for Chief Judge Frederic N. Smalkin and Judge Richard D. Bennett of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Ms. Kelly is a member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Baltimore County Bar Association, Women's White Collar Defense Association, and a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. She was also recently appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to the Board of Trustees for the Office of the Public Defender of Maryland. Ms. Kelly is also actively involved in community affairs, serving on the Women's Leadership Counsel for My Sister's Place, a division of Catholic Charities, which provides meals, case management, education, and job training to women in Baltimore City, and serving as a mentor to law students at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.