Deborah P. Kelly

Practice Areas

As a partner in Manatt’s Employment and Labor practice, Deborah Kelly advises and defends employers in virtually all areas, from multibillion-dollar high-tech and financial services companies to nonprofit associations and other law firms. She handles a broad scope of employment litigation up to and including jury trials on subjects such as noncompetes, trade secret litigation, breach of contract, wage and hour, and all forms of discrimination. Deborah routinely handles administrative charges for large corporate clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC, and state-equivalent) field offices across the country. She also counsels boards of directors, including publicly traded companies, about complex C-suite employment matters in a way that deals with the matter without bad publicity or ripple effects on stock value.

Deborah has been retained by multiple Fortune 50 companies in sensitive internal investigations and is experienced in trying cases to verdict. Above all else, Deborah is known and appreciated by clients for her practical succinct advice and candor. She develops and maintains close relationships with her clients that lead to her being a trusted advisor as clients work through sensitive and issues, including, and extending beyond, employment.

Professional Memberships

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New York, Maryland, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court

Adjunct Professor, Employment and Labor Law, Washington College of Law, American University (2016–present)

Elected to serve on Grievance Committee by U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (2008–2013)

Lawyers Club (only 100 lawyers admitted in D.C.) (2016–present)

American Employment Law Council (2016–present)

The Barristers (2000–present)

Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society

Publications

Interviewed, “Silence No More & The Litigation That Will Follow,” In House Warrior Podcast, May 10, 2021.

Quoted, “Disciplining Workers for Lies About Vaccinations,” SHRM, May 4, 2021.

“State AG Enforcement of the Wage-and-Hour Laws: Not Just for the Plaintiff’s Bar Anymore,” Association of Corporate Counsel, CLO Executive Bulletin, January 2014.