Nixon Peabody LLP

  • People
  • Capabilities
  • Insights
  • About

Trending Topics

    • People
    • Capabilities
    • Insights
    • About
    • Locations
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Alumni

    Practices

    View All

    • Affordable Housing
    • Community Development Finance
    • Corporate & Finance
    • Cybersecurity & Privacy
    • Environmental
    • Franchising & Distribution
    • Government Investigations & White Collar Defense
    • Healthcare
    • Intellectual Property
    • International Services
    • Labor & Employment
    • Litigation
    • Private Wealth & Advisory
    • Project Finance
    • Public Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Regulatory & Government Relations

    Industries

    View All

    • Cannabis
    • Consumer
    • Energy
    • Entertainment
    • Financial Services
    • Healthcare
    • Higher Education
    • Infrastructure
    • Manufacturing
    • Non Profit
    • Real Estate
    • Technology

    Value-Added Services

    View All

    • Alternative Fee Arrangements

      Developing innovative pricing structures and alternative fee agreement models that deliver additional value for our clients.

    • Continuing Education

      Advancing professional knowledge and offering credits for attorneys, staff and other professionals.

    • Crisis Advisory

      Helping clients respond correctly when a crisis occurs.

    • DEI Strategic Services

      Providing our clients with legal, strategic, and practical advice to make transformational changes in their organizations.

    • eDiscovery

      Leveraging law and technology to deliver sound solutions.

    • Global Services

      Delivering seamless service through partnerships across the globe.

    • Innovation

      Leveraging leading-edge technology to guide change and create seamless, collaborative experiences for clients and attorneys.

    • IPED

      Industry-leading conferences focused on affordable housing, tax credits, and more.

    • Legal Project Management

      Providing actionable information to support strategic decision-making.

    • Legally Green

      Teaming with clients to advance sustainable projects, mitigate the effects of climate change, and protect our planet.

    • Nixon Peabody Trust Company

      Offering a range of investment management and fiduciary services.

    • NP Capital Connector

      Bringing together companies and investors for tomorrow’s new deals.

    • NP Second Opinion

      Offering fresh insights on cases that are delayed, over budget, or off-target from the desired resolution.

    • NP Trial

      Courtroom-ready lawyers who can resolve disputes early on clients’ terms or prevail at trial before a judge or jury.

    • Social Impact

      Creating positive impact in our communities through increasing equity, access, and opportunity.

    1. Home
    2. People
    3. William E. KellyPeople
    1. Home
    2. People
    3. William E. KellyPeople

    William E. Kelly

    Senior Counsel


    • Boston
    • Office617.345.1195
    • wkelly@nixonpeabody.com
    • Download vCard
    • Share
    • LinkedIn Profile

    Introduction

    Bill Kelly represents investment fund managers, broker-dealers, and registered investment advisers, and counsels fund managers and institutional investors regarding regulatory compliance matters and the organization and structure of pooled investment vehicles. He also serves as general counsel and transactional special counsel for companies ranging from very early stage ventures to publicly traded corporations with international operations.

    Practice Areas

    Corporate & FinancePrivate Equity & Investment FundsM&A and Corporate TransactionsSecurities & Capital MarketsPrivate Fund Disputes

    My focus

    I began my career working with venture capitalists and venture-backed companies. That practice has evolved into the representation of a range of investment advisers, fund managers, and institutional investors. While my focus is now primarily on issues under the federal and state securities laws, I continue to devote a substantial part of my time to companies that are developing innovative technologies. Among my clients have been a number of genomics and drug discovery companies, an audio equipment manufacturer, enterprise software developers, alternative energy companies, and developers and manufacturers of medical devices.

    I often work with clients that do not have in-house general counsel, so that I advise my clients’ senior management and boards of directors as well as coordinating a team of lawyers from Nixon Peabody serving all of their legal needs.

    Through my service on a number of nonprofit boards (including the Institute of Contemporary Art, La Salle University, and the AIDS Action Committee) I have been able to apply my extensive experience in corporate governance to issues relating to the governance and oversight of charitable and nonprofit institutions.

    Looking ahead

    Increased regulation of the securities markets and more comprehensive disclosure requirements will place increasing burdens on issuers of securities and managers of collective investment vehicles. We are working on strategies to help clients manage their compliance and reporting obligations effectively.

    Admitted to practice

    Massachusetts
    Maryland
    U.S. Tax Court

    Education

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

    Professional activities

    Bill served for many years 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 emeritus and honorary trustee of the Institute of Contemporary Art and an overseer of Speakeasy Stage Company. He is also a former trustee of La Salle University, a former director of the AIDS Action Committee and a former overseer of the Boston Lyric Opera.

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

    Recognition

    Bill has been recognized as a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” in Securities and Corporate Finance (2005–2019), 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.

    Bill received the 2012 Commitment to Action Award in recognition of his work in the fight against AIDS. He also received the Massachusetts Bar Association’s 2012 Excellence in the Law Award for his pro bono legal work.

    Bill has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale Hubbell®, the highest possible rating for ethics and legal ability.

    In the News

    • Boston Globe

      SJC decision on EMC lawsuit could have broad implications for Mass. Boards

      Boston government investigations and white collar defense associate Eric Walz, commercial litigation partner George Skelly and M&A and corporate transactions senior counsel Bill Kelly provided insight about how legal decisions can have broader business implications for clients in this article about a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision involving former EMC corporation chief executive Joe Tucci and EMC’s shareholders.
      March 23, 2017
    • Law360

      Recent merger ruling is good for Massachusetts directors

      Boston commercial litigation partner George Skelly, M&A and corporate transactions senior counsel William Kelly and government investigations and white collar defense associate Eric Walz contributed this article about the Massachusetts SJC’s guidance regarding fiduciary duties of directors of publicly traded Massachusetts corporations.
      March 17, 2017

    Insights And Happenings

    View All
    • Alert

      SEC proposed amendments to 13F to raise the reporting threshold for investment managers

      July 20, 2020
    • Alert

      Senate approves $310 billion in additional funding to the Paycheck Protection Program

      April 22, 2020
    • Alert

      Main Street Lending Program established to facilitate lending to small and medium-size businesses, including those with over 500 employees

      April 9, 2020
    View All

    Professionals in the Practice Area

    View All
    • Christopher P. Keefe

      Partner
      Chair, Business & Finance Department
      • Boston
      • Office:617.345.1350
      • ckeefe@nixonpeabody.com
      Christopher P. Keefe
    • Todd Tidgewell

      Partner / Leader, Corporate Practice Group
      • Albany
      • Office:518.427.2705
      • ttidgewell@nixonpeabody.com
      Todd Tidgewell
    • Philip B. Taub

      Partner
      Head of Private Equity
      • Boston
      • Office:617.345.1165
      • ptaub@nixonpeabody.com
      Philip B. Taub
    • Lori B. Green

      Partner
      Co-Leader, M&A and Corporate Transactions Team
      Co-Leader, Cannabis Practice
      • Rochester
      • Office:585.263.1236
        Mobile:585.281.3076
      • lgreen@nixonpeabody.com
      Lori B. Green
    • Stephen D. Zubiago

      CEO and Managing Partner
      • Boston
      • Office:617.345.6094
      • szubiago@nixonpeabody.com
      Stephen D. Zubiago
    View All

    Subscribe to stay informed of the latest legal news, alerts, and business trends.Subscribe

    • People
    • Capabilities
    • Insights
    • About
    • Locations
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Alumni
    • © 2023 Nixon Peabody. All rights reserved
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Statement of Client Rights
    • Supplier Diversity Program
    • Nixon Peabody International LLC
    • PAL