L. Todd Kelly

Todd Kelly is, first, and foremost, a child of God. He is a devoted husband to his wife (and law partner), Robbye, and father of four amazing children, Joshua, Meghan, Matthew, and Selby. He cooks one large batch of crawfish per year and has become adept at smoking a brisket. Because he has tried to do life without Him, Todd will testify that he is an utter failure without his savior, Jesus, and that the rest of the narrative below is possible only by His unending grace… read more about that miracle in Todd’s recent autobiographical book Worth Dying For. Professionally, Todd is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Todd is licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado and Pennsylvania. He grew up in Arlington, Texas, and received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas in 1987, while attending on an ROTC Scholarship. He earned his juris doctorate from the Dickinson School of Law in 1995 as a member of the Woolsack Honor Society, while serving as a U.S. Marine, where he returned to practice as a criminal defense attorney in the judge advocate’s corps. Todd has been featured on 20/20, The Rachel Maddow Show, and has been interviewed on legal topics by numerous national and local news programs, including CBS’ Insider Edition. In 2009, Todd appeared in front of committees of the United States Congress speaking on the Fairness in Arbitration Act, in an effort to eliminate mandatory, binding, pre-dispute arbitration provisions that are found in consumer products and other contracts. Todd was consulted by Senator Al Franken, who sponsored an amendment to the Senate Appropriations bill during that year which led to the abolition of forced arbitration for victims of sexual assault by most military contractors. In 2013, Todd was inducted into the Texas Lawyer Hall of Fame following a $16,900,000 verdict on behalf of a mentally handicapped woman who was raped by a caregiver at her daycare facility. Todd has received his 10-year Super Lawyer award as a Texas Super Lawyer, having been named by that publication in 2011, 2012 and every year since 2014. ​Todd left the Marine Corps to enter private practice in 1998, after attaining the rank of Major. He represented asbestos exposure victims and other seriously injured people in Virginia and Pennsylvania before returning to represent victims of birth injury and nursing home abuse in his native Texas in 2002. In 2006, Todd opened his own law firm in Houston, Texas, where he gained recognition for his representation of sexual assault victims by overseas military contractors. Todd has dedicated his life to making America safer. He began that service as a Marine Corps combat engineer officer. He now continues that work by protecting those truly injured people who will never get the justice that our system promises to them without holding greedy, powerful corporate entities responsible for the damage they cause. As a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Texas Trial Lawyers’ Association, and as a past president of the Capital Area Trial Lawyers’ Association, he remains a staunch defender of our right to trial by a jury of our peers in all cases with a value exceeding $20.00, as guaranteed by the 7th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Todd urges that if we fail to protect the 7th Amendment to the United States Constitution, we will eventually lose the rights guaranteed by all of the Amendments because it is this right to hold the powerful accountable, protected by the 7th Amendment, that protects the individual freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees L. Todd Kelly included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Scott Osman Trial Lawyer of the Year - Capital Area Trial Lawyers, 2024 Rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell Texas Super Lawyer, A Thomson Reuters Business, 2011-2012, 2014-2024 Top Lawyers: #1 Verdict in a Waco, Texas Personal Injury Case, 2024 Top Lawyers: #1 Settlement in a Sexual Assault Case, 2023 Austin’s Top Attorneys (Personal Injury), 2019 – 2024 Three Separate Cases included in the Top 10 Verdicts in Texas: 2022 Top 10 Verdicts in Texas: 2020 Top 50 Personal Injury US Verdicts 2020 Top 100 US Verdicts 2020 Verdict Search’s “Top Texas Verdicts” by Texas Lawyer in 2011, and twice in 2018 H Texas Magazine’s “Houston’s Top Lawyers,” in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012 Top 100 US Verdicts Voted The Global Directory of Who’s Who Top Lawyer of 2015 Texas Lawyer Hall of Fame: 2013 Inductee AVVO Rating of “10 – Superb” Texas Super Lawyers: 2011-2012; 2014-2024 Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum, Life Member Multi-Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum, Life Member National Association of Distinguished Counsel (Top 1% of Attorneys Nationwide) Other Sources of Feedback About L. Todd Kelly Included on the 2026Texas Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list 2024 Texas Super Lawyers list 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list 2021 Texas Super Lawyers list 2020 Texas Super Lawyers list 2019 Texas Super Lawyers list 2018 Texas Super Lawyers list 2017 Texas Super Lawyers list 2016 Texas Super Lawyers list 2015 Texas Super Lawyers list 2014 Texas Super Lawyers list 2012 Texas Super Lawyers list 2011 Texas Super Lawyers list

• Partner - Litigation Lead

• The Kelly Law Firm, Owner, Trial Lawyer: 2006-2012, 2014 - present
• Haskins, Gregan & Kelly, Partner, Trial Lawyer: 2002-2006
• Cohen & Feeley, Associate, Trial Lawyer: 2001-2002
• Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, Associate, Trial Lawyer: 1998 – 2001
• United States Marine Corps, Major, Judge Advocate: 1987-1998
• Muery, Farrell & Kelly, Senior Partner, Trial Lawyer: 2023-2024
• The Carlson Law Firm, Partner, Trial Lawyer: 2021-2023
• Lone Star Karate & Self-Defense, Owner, Sensei: 2006-2012

• Fairness in Arbitration Act, Press Conference with Congressional Leaders: 2009
• Fairness in Arbitration – Lecture, University of Delaware: 2009
• Fairness in Arbitration – Lecture, University of Texas Law School: 2010
• Intangible Damages – Lecture, Permian Basin Trial Lawyers Association: 2015
• Intangible Damages – Lecture, Byran/College Station Trial Lawyers Association: 2016
• Proving Causation with Pre-Existing Injuries – Lecture, TTLA Car Wrecks Seminar: 2017
• Trial Advocacy College of Texas (TACT) Faculty, Austin, Texas: 2018
• Civil Justice for Victims of Crime in Texas – Panel Discussion, NCVBA: 2019
• TLC Regional Seminar, F-Warrior Ambassador: 2019
• Trying a Case Without Medical Bills – Lecture, CATLA CLE: 2019
• Trying a Case Without Medical Bills – Lecture, TTLA Midyear: 2019
• Open Wide: Opening Statements to Prepare a Jury to Think Big, TTLA Midyear: 2020
• Trying a Case Without Medical Bills after SB-207 – Lecture, CATLA CLE: 2021
• Trial Advocacy College of Texas (TACT) Faculty, Irving, Texas: 2021
• TTLA Advanced Tactics & Strategy (Trying Cases without Medical Bills): 2021
• South Plains Trial Lawyers’ Assoc. (Trying Cases without Medical Bills): 2021
• Permian Basin Trial Lawyers’ Assoc. (Trying Cases without Medical Bills): 2021
• Tarrant County Trial Lawyers’ Assoc. (Trying Cases without Medical Bills): 2021
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association Destination CLE on Actual Damages: 2022
• Texas Bar Association CLE panelist on Trucking Tips and Tricks: 2022
• CATLA: Worth Dying For: 7 Ways That Being a Trial Lawyer Can Kill You: 2023
• Texas Young Lawyers Association: Panel Presentation on Mental Health: 2023
• Permian Basin Trial Lawyers’ Assoc. (7 Ways Being a Trial Lawyer can Kill You): 2023
• Travis County Volunteer Legal Services CLE: Trial Thoughts: 2023
• Trial Lawyers’ College, Faculty Instructor: 2023
• Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Association, Faculty Instructor: 2023
• Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association: Worth Dying For – The Power Within: 2023

• Board Member, Reset Mentoring
• Founding Member, Amour Center and Safe House
• Former Chairman of the Advisory Board: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Central Texas
• Ancillary Businesses
• Lone Star Karate & Self Defense, Owner

• Virginia, 1995
• Pennsylvania, 2001
• Texas, 2002
• Oklahoma, 2010
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 2007
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 2007
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1998
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2008
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
• New Mexico, 2020
• Colorado, 2021
• U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 2015
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 2019
• Specialties and Certifications
• Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, December 2015

• The “F-Warriors,” Past Region 4 Representative, 2013-2020
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Board Member)
• American Association of Justice (Member)
• Houston Trial Lawyers Association (Member)
• State Bar of Texas (Member)
• Fort Bend County Bar Association
• Capital Area Trial Lawyer's Association
• Austin Bar Association
• National Trial Lawyers (Top 100 Trial Lawyers), 2012-2022
• The National Crime Victim’s Bar Association, Member
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association, VP of Political Affairs: 2019-2020; PAC, Chair: 2020-2022
• Capital Area Trial Lawyers’ Association, Past President: 2020-2021
• Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, Advocate Member: 2021 – present
• The American Board of Trial Advocates: 2016 – present
• The Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court: 2020 – 2023
• Reset Mentoring, Board Member and Former Teen Mentor