Christopher G. Kelly is the Litigation Practice Group Leader for the 30 member Litigation Group in New York. Mr. Kelly's practice focuses primarily on the defense of mass torts, toxic torts, federal and state court class actions (consumer, labor and privacy), contracts, product liability, and insurance coverage disputes. Mr. Kelly has represented aviation clients including BAE, Air France, Varig, and JetBlue Airways. He was lead trial counsel to JetBlue on its nationwide privacy class action litigations, and has represented clients across the country as lead and trial counsel in class actions in state and federal courts, stemming from West Nile virus spraying, Medfly control, and overtime wage claims. He has negotiated long term multi million dollar leases on behalf of marine terminal tenants, and has successfully prosecuted and defended actions in state and federal courts throughout the United States in matters dealing with bank fraud, shareholder disputes, distribution agreements, unfair competition, fraud, trademark and copyright infringement, interference with contracts, marketing practices, product liability, rights of secured and unsecured creditors, bankruptcies, destruction of natural resources, and serious personal injury.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Kelly was employed as Director of Development at Regis High School in New York City.
Mr. Kelly served as moderator for H&K external CLE, "Data Privacy Breach." He has spoken at Air Finance Seminars as well as spoken or moderated panels at ABA TIPS and ABA Air & Space Forum on litigation related topics, including demonstrative evidence, criminalization of negligence claims, and the rights of secured creditors. He regularly speaks at conferences overseas for European insurers and their insureds on product liability litigation in the United States.