Sarah Kelly-Kilgore Named New Leader of Holland & Knight in Newport Beach
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (September 25, 2025) – Holland & Knight has named Sarah Kelly-Kilgore executive partner of its Newport Beach office. Ms. Kilgore will oversee the day-to-day management of the office while continuing to manage her practice, which focuses on a wide variety of litigation matters. She succeeds David Robinson, who served as executive partner of the office for four years.
"Sarah's extensive experience practicing in the Newport Beach area and her knowledge of the market, which is home to leading tech companies and start-ups, make her the perfect fit for the role of executive partner," said Holland & Knight Chair and Chief Executive Officer Bob Grammig. "We look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of the office under her leadership, and we thank Dave for his many years of dedicated service to our clients and the Firm."
Holland & Knight opened its Newport Beach office in 2021. Under Mr. Robinson's stewardship, the office has grown to include 24 attorneys with significant experience serving the West Coast in litigation, corporate, real estate and land use matters. The Newport Beach office handles a wide range of legal matters, from trying complex cases in a multitude of federal and state jurisdictions, to prosecuting and defending challenging high-impact appeals, to handling corporate formation, corporate governance, human resources, regulatory and other day-to-day operational legal matters.
"Holland & Knight's Newport Beach office is an important and strategic office for the Firm, and I am proud of the growth our team has achieved together," said Mr. Robinson. "I am confident that under Sarah's direction we will continue to make great strides and contribute significantly to the success of the Firm."
Prior to joining Holland & Knight in 2024, Ms. Kilgore was the managing partner for the Los Angeles office of a boutique trial law firm. She has experience litigating cases in a broad range of practice areas, including employment litigation, fraud, business torts, defamation, contracts, federal agency enforcement actions, unfair competition, trade secrets, and shareholder and consumer class action litigation. She also advises clients on matters involving executive compensation, corporate governance and compliance. Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Kilgore played NCAA Division I women's water polo and received national All-Academic Team honors.
Ms. Kilgore was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America guide in the area of commercial litigation for 2026. She was also named to the Orange County Business Journal's list of Top Litigators & Corporate Lawyers and its list of Leaders of Influence: Women in Law for 2025.
"My path to this position has been shaped by the opportunities I've had to work with talented colleagues, mentor newer lawyers and build strong client relationships," Ms. Kilgore said. "I'm honored to have been selected for this role, and I look forward to continuing to grow our team and the services we provide to clients."