William E. Kelly
Partner

Practice Areas

Experience

Bill Kelly’s practice focuses on corporate finance, securities, corporations and partnerships.

Bill represents numerous hedge fund managers in fund organization and regulatory compliance matters. He advises registered broker/dealers, investment advisers, and others regarding FINRA and SEC compliance matters. Bill assists a number of venture capital funds in structuring portfolio investments and represents them as selling shareholders in public offerings and other dispositions of portfolio securities. He also advises private equity fund general partners on a variety of matters, including their fiduciary duties to limited partner investors and their responsibilities as directors of portfolio companies.

Bill serves as general counsel for companies ranging from very early-stage ventures to publicly-traded corporations with international operations. Among his clients are a number of drug discovery companies, an audio equipment manufacturer, several alternative energy companies, and developers and manufacturers of medical devices. In addition, Bill has an active transactional practice representing buyers and sellers of businesses.

Bill has, since its inception, served on the NVCA Model Document Working Group, a national committee of leading venture capital attorneys which, under the auspices of the National Venture Capital Association, has developed a set of venture investment model documents.

Bill is a trustee of La Salle University, a trustee of the Institute of Contemporary Art, a director of the AIDS Action Committee, an overseer of the Boston Lyric Opera, and a member of the Board of Visitors of Speakeasy Stage Company.

Bill has been recognized as a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” in Securities and Corporate Finance (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009), as a New England “Super Lawyer” in Securities and Corporate Finance (2008), and as one of the nation’s “Top Attorneys in Corporate and Securities Law” (2009), based on peer-review surveys.

Admissions

Admitted to practice in Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and Maryland and before the U.S. Tax Court.

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D.
Harvard University, A.M.
University of the East, Manila, M.A.
LaSalle University, A.B., summa cum laude

Affiliations

Bill is a member of the American and Boston bar associations.