Kelly practices in the tax group with a concentration in the area of executive compensation and employee benefits.  

She has worked with both public and private companies on an array of employee benefit matters, focusing on qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans and executive compensation arrangements. Her experience includes helping clients navigate and comply with the complex and numerous legal requirements associated with the administration of equity compensation and employee benefit plans and advising companies on fiduciary duties with respect to qualified retirement plans. 

She works with entities on all stages of benefit plan matters, including advising companies on the design and implementation of new plans, drafting documents, counseling companies on the maintenance and correction of plans and finally, assisting in merging or termination of plans. She is experienced in design and implementation of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as well as ESOP transactions. She has represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Kelly recently assisted a client in the design, drafting and implementation of a complex cash balance plan and assisted in benefits matters with respect to a $200 million merger of two banking institutions. 

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, University of Houston Law Center, magna cum laude, Houston Journal of International Law, External Relations Editor, Order of the Barons, 2005MS, Texas Woman's University, 2001BA, Southwestern University, 1998

• Special Reporting Requirements Regarding Exercises of Incentive Stock Options and Transfers of Stock Acquired under Employee Stock Purchase Plans (2017 Update)
• Pay a Bonus Early to Increase a Corporation’s Cash Flow?, Executive Compensation Practical Pointers
• Executives May Be Eligible to Receive Larger 401(k) Plan Benefits with a New Comparability Formula, Executive Compensation Practical Pointers
• Special Reporting Requirements for Incentive Stock Options – 2018 Update
• Special Reporting Requirements Regarding Exercises of Incentive Stock Options and Transfers of Stock Acquired Under Employee Stock Purchase Plans (2016 Update)