Kendell Renee Kelly is by no means your typical attorney at law. Her client list includes a wide range of entities, including business owners, restaurateurs, athletes, entertainers, high-end importers, and more. As diverse as her client list is, Kelly herself is a serial entrepreneur and multi-hyphenate with numerous interests including public speaking, producing, hospitality, and real estate development and investments across the US and Costa Rica.
A native of Washington, D.C., Kendell received her B.S. in General Science from Spelman College, her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. After taking residence in Chicago, she went on to be admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States Supreme Court bar.
In 2008, after working for several prestigious firms around the country, Kelly struck out to start her own practice on her own terms, founding Kendell Kelly, PC. Under her unique practice, Kelly works a gamut of angles for clients, including negotiating management and publishing agreements, establishing intellectual property acquisition, and providing other varied services including copyrights, trademarks, web agreements, cease and desist letters, clothing design clearance, etc. Past media write-ups have included Crain’s Chicago Business Report, U.S. News & World Report, and Crain’s Chicago Business Report and Uptown Magazine and more.
N’DIGO recently sat down with the on-the-go attorney to talk about her unique law practice, why she’s “never stayed in one lane“, and her plans for Women to build abroad.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Kendell Renee Kelly?
Kendell Renee Kelly: I’m an attorney, civil engineer, entrepreneur, and builder who structurally improves both businesses and people. I’m a foster parent, co-parenting with my mother, and as of recently, an immigrant in Costa Rica who was approved for residency.
Three words family and friends would use to describe you?
Ambitious. Humanitarian. Scholarly.
Did you always know you wanted to go into law?
Yes, I knew by the age of eight. That was also when I dreamed of owning and building something on Route 66, and the two grew up together. My path took me in far more than law, though: civil engineering, comedy, producing, reality TV, and eventually building in Costa Rica and becoming a foster parent. Each one fed the same instinct to build something solid and protect the people who depend on it.
Can you tell us about your practice and some of the things you handle?
Kendell Kelly, P.C. is a solo, digital-first practice. I’m licensed in Illinois and handle mostly federal matters, with USPTO trademark prosecution at the core, plus IP, entertainment, and business law. I’ve had the privilege of working with some legends, and I stay on the cutting edge with AI, which lets me deliver big-firm thoroughness with a boutique touch. I’m expanding into trust and estate law because intellectual property is rarely accounted for in estate planning, and it can change a legacy.
And what can you tell us about your Women Building Abroad project?
WBA is a platform of frameworks, resources, and advisory services for women building or investing in property abroad. It includes Field Notes, Office Hours, a Private Readiness Review, and the Before You Build Workbook. It’s grounded in real experience: I’m currently building something in Costa Rica and have assisted with builds in other parts of Central America. Part of the message is honest, too: not everyone should build abroad, and I’d rather you find that out before you break ground.
Do you have a golden rule of business you always abide by?
Receipts first, expertise second. Show the work before claiming authority, and be overprepared rather than caught unprepared.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I was on the reality TV show Money, Power, Respect. Also, while I am alicensed civil engineer and an attorney, I’ve also been a comedian, a producer, and even a belly dancer in college.
What is a book that impacted your life in a meaningful way?
Zora Neale Hurston, for life. Their Eyes Were Watching God showed me what it looks like to claim your own voice and your own love story on your own terms. Her work taught me to tell the truth unapologetically. More recently, Chase the Lion has become a new source of motivation, pushing me to run toward the thing that scares me.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Tend to your own bidness.” My grandfather, my namesake, told me that. It taught me to stay focused on my own lane, my work and my integrity, and let everything else fall away.
What’s your best advice to aspiring attorneys?
Try isn’t a word. You either do the work, or you don’t. And friend is a verb: be the colleague, mentor, and ally who shows up, because relationships are how a practice grows. Find a niche you can go deep on, take ethics and licensing limits seriously from day one, and tend to your own bidness.
A favorite quote or affirmation?
“I am who I am because God said so.” That leaves room for life’s imperfections, with the understanding that it all leads to favor.
What’s next for you?
Up next…I’ll be opening a boutique hospitality venture in Costa Rica called Bella Estrella. I’ll continue growing WBA into a trusted resource for women building abroad. I’m also looking to
expand the practice into trust and estate law so families can protect their IP and their legacy. I’ll keep building across Central America, keep raising the next generation with intention, and keep putting my personal brand behind all of it.
For more information on Kendell Renee Kelly, Esq., please visit www.kendellreneekelly.com and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram at @KendellRenee.
