Name: Nate Kelly, Esq.
Item: Nate Kelly, Esq.
Author: esquire

Bio

Nate Kelly is a business attorney and startup specialist with extensive deal making and litigation expertise:

$100M+ in securities transactions;
$150M+ in start-up client revenue; and
$100M+ negotiated settlements.

The Law Offices of Nate Kelly represent businesses and individuals when involved in business and money disputes, with a particular specialty in bet-the-company litigation and business buy-outs. Having negotiated contracts (deals and settlements) of more than two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) over the last decade, our results speak to our capabilities and track record of success.

Our attorneys and affiliated counsel are Members of the California, Texas, New York, Washington, DC, and Florida bar, admitted to the Ninth Circuit and other Federal Courts, and have litigated in U.S. State and Federal Courts throughout the Country. We have successfully resolved matters during pre-litigation, litigation, mediation, arbitration, and trial.

Offering strategic advising for businesses, brands, creatives, entrepreneurs, founders, investors, nonprofits, political organizations, and startups; the Law Offices of Nate Kelly advises clients from concept, to operations, to sale; negotiating high level partnerships and successfully guiding clients through complex and important matters. Our Attorneys serve as private counsel, corporate officers, board members; as well as a public and private advocates for business, civic, environmental, charitable organizations, in additional to advocating on behalf of political issues as well as candidates for local, statewide, and national political offices.

ABOUT: Nate Kelly (lawyer)

Nathaniel Greenberg Kelly pka Nate Kelly, Esquire (born on December 16, 1982) is an American lawyer, entrepreneur, and political operative, best known for his work with Silicon Valley and Silicone Beach Startups.

The Law Offices of Nate Kelly
Kelly founded the Law Offices of Nate Kelly in 2010 and has consistently been involved in notable cases and controversies, starting from his first year of practice, when he was on the cover of the Los Angeles Daily Journal after starting his own solo practice at the age of 27. Since, Kelly has been featured in numerous publications for his legal excellence, including but not limited to, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, the Athletic, and has been designated one of the top-rated practicing attorneys in California from 2016-2022.

Kelly specializes in representing businesses negotiate contracts and resolve disputes. He is known for his negotiation skills as well as the ability to help clients understand their legal rights and make informed business decisions. Kelly's focus on delivering practical solutions has allowed numerous startups to compete and thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape. Whether defending against trademark sharks, helping the founders of online mattress retailer, Tuft & Needle, achieve a nearly $1B exit, or negotiating celebrity partnerships for his clients, like Futuremood Studios, Kelly has often courted controversy and utilized the press to support the interests of his clients.

Kelly is also actively engaged in advising, serving as a board member, and advocating for various non-profit organizations, charities, and political campaigns. His contributions include working with Hoop Bus Inc., the Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network, LongLiveGoGo, Save the American Salmon Inc., Baker for Governor, Jordan for Governor, Paulette for Senate, John Delaney for President, and more. His efforts have been featured in numerous local and national news stories, highlighting his role as a public advocate for important causes.

2008-2013: After graduating from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law with High Honors, Kelly went to work for the New York based international law firm, Kaye Scholer LLP, which later merged with Arnold & Porter, becoming one of the largest firms in the world, by both revenue and number of lawyers. Kelly joined the firm’s Century City office as a Corporate Finance Associate Attorney in 2008, where he worked on high-profile and high-value securities transactions. He became a member of the California Bar in January 2009, and a member of the Federal Bar in 2010.

In 2011, Kelly made headlines after suing the grammy nominated indie-rock band Foster the People on behalf of his client, music manager Brandon Dorsky, and having the band served with process at their black-tie album release party in Los Angeles stemming from a breach of contract claim relating to music management and promotion services. After the initial media attention, the case was settled out of court.

In 2012, Kelly began promoting the street basketball league, Veniceball, the California antecedent of the And1 basketball league, which he has helped become one of the most influential street basketball leagues in the world.

2014-2017: In 2014, Kelly moved to and opened a second office in San Francisco, where he began advising and investing in Startup businesses during the peak of the tech boom, advising young entrepreneurs and companies like Tuft & Needle, True & Co, and Clearly Kombucha.

In 2015, Kelly helped refine the Federal Law of Trademark and Trade-dress, in a now published and widely circulated legal case, when he won a Motion for Summary Judgement on behalf of his client, Clearly Kombucha, against a Trademark infringement claim by Clearly Canadian. Kelly was able to establish for the first time in Federal Court that, as a matter of law, the destination of a brand as “famous” for purposes of determining trademark dilution is not a permanent but temporarily relevant distinction.

2018 to 2022: In 2018, Kelly joined Futuremood Studios as its General Counsel and Head of Business Operations, helping both develop and launch the business to significant critical and cultural acclaim.

2022 to Present: Since 2022, Kelly has focussed on what some might consider his more traditional legal practice, advising startups and representing businesses in bet-the-company litigation.

POLITICAL ADVOCACY

Nate Kelly, while best known as a Silicon Valley Startup Lawyer, is also a well regarded political operative, even being called “the prototypical D.C. politico” by Splinter News.

2015–2022: Build Courts Not Walls

In 2015, Kelly and Veniceball Founder Nick Ansom teamed up with Dan Peterson of Project Backboard, to expand on their non-profit endeavors. The project, named “Build Courts Not Walls”, was a merger of Kelly’s issue advocacy with Ansom’s love for basketball and Peterson’s artistic bent. They started a movement, contributing to some of the most iconic basketball courts in the world, while continuing to push an agenda of inclusion and unity.

2017-2020: Paulette Jordan

In early 2017, Kelly was introduced to Paulette Jordan, who was then an elected State Representative and a member of the Young Elected Officials network. Later that year, Jordan announced her candidacy for Governor. Kelly originally served as an advisor to the campaign and was later promoted to become the head of messaging, then campaign manager. The Nation called Jordan the new face of rural politics in America and the split Democratic party establishment united behind her after the state's most competitive Democratic primary in decades. In August 2018 the New York Times named her as one of four candidates who could become the first female governors of their states. She would also have become the first Native American governor in US history. Jordan maintained strong support and kept the race close to near the end, although Idaho stayed Red and Jordan was unable to win the election, she was able to help win.

In 2019, Kelly worked with Jordan and the Natural Resources Defense Council to launch the Sovereign Alliance of Tribes and Tribal Members, in order to advocate for the removal of the lower snake river dams, which if not removed are likely to cause the extinction of the North American Salmon.

On February 7, 2020, Jordan announced a run for the United States Senate against incumbent Senator Jim Risch. Jordan won the June 2, 2020 Democratic primary and faced Risch in the November general election, before losing in the general election.

2020-2023: The HoopBus

In 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Kelly joined the national movement against racism, launching a campaign using an old school bus repurposed from his basketball charity. The Hoopbus’ cross-country journey was chronicled and featured in local and national news-stories, culminating in a MLK inspired March on Washington; a short-documentary of which was featured in story on TNT shown live prior to game two of the 2020 Finals.

Education

Kelly received his Bachelor's degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park; and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law.

Kelly earned a variety of honors during his studies, including graduating, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, receiving the Dean’s Scholar Award, membership in the College Honors Program, the American Jurisprudence Award in Torts, High Honors in Constitutional Law, and was awarded two Merit Scholarships at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Early Life / Family History

Kelly was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in a border suburb, graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. His mother, Nancy Greenberg, was a clinical psychologist, and his father, Clarke Kelly, a telecommunications engineer.

Kelly’s maternal grandfather, Irvin Greenberg, attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a PhD in Psychology in 1954 and went on to become one of the first clinical psychologists in Baltimore, Maryland. Kelly’s Paternal grandfather, Forrest Kelly, who attended Southern Methodist University before receiving a Master’s in Sociology at Harvard University, went on to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of Oneida National Bank and Trust Co., later orchestrating its sale to United Bank New York in 1982. Around his 80th birthday, he was awarded the 33rd degree in Masonry. Both served in the army during WWII.

Nate Kelly, Esq.

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