Our Team
PRINCIPAL
WILLIAM D. KELLY
William D. Kelly was born in Forest Park, Illinois in 1957. He grew up in Westchester, Illinois and graduated from Proviso West High School in 1975. Mr. Kelly attended Western Illinois University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in 1979. He graduated from DePaul College of Law in 1982 with the Degree of Juris Doctor, with honors. While at DePaul University, he served as an editor of the DePaul Law Review. Since 1983, he has been a grader for the Illinois Bar Exams. Mr. Kelly obtained his license to practice law in the State of Illinois in 1982. In 2003, he also obtained his license to practice law in the State of Florida.
PRINCIPAL
JAMES J. KARRAS
James J. Karras was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1952. He grew up in the Hinsdale/LaGrange, Illinois area and graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1971. Mr. Karras attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where, in 1975, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with honors. He graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 1979 with the degree of Juris Doctor, with honors. Mr. Karras was licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois in 1979.
OF COUNSEL
JOSEPH A. NEVERIL
Joseph A. Neveril has been an Illinois licensed attorney since 1996 and has been Of Counsel to the firm since 2015, where he maintains his own private client base. Joe specializes in business transactional work, but also assists the Firm in complex business litigation. Joe is also currently the Managing Partner of BLU Leaf Ventures, LLC, a privately held investment and advisory firm active in the North American renewable energy space. He has been a real estate managing broker since 2005, having closed multiple deals in Illinois and co-brokered transactions in California, Florida, Kansas, New Mexico, New York and Wisconsin. Joe has also served as Chief Financial Officer of a variety of businesses, most recently for an SEC registered Investment Advisor and private equity fund of funds sponsor with over $400 million under management. Prior to that experience, he was CFO and General Counsel of B.L. Duke, Inc., a “green industry” recycling concern that was, at the time, recognized by Crain’s as one of Chicago’s “Fast Fifty” growing companies. Joe spent the first eight years of his career at KPMG, where he worked primarily with financial services related clients on real estate and securities related transactions and initiatives, with specific focus on real estate investment trusts (REITs) and regulated investment companies (RICs), respectively. He left KPMG to co-found Bank Property Advisors, LLC, a boutique consultancy for small and mid-sized banks providing sale-leaseback and merger and acquisition advisory services. Joe earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Duke University and J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign Urbana.
ASSOCIATES
ADDITIONAL NETWORK
In addition, the Firm maintains relationships with a network of attorneys who practice in areas outside of K&K's specialties. K&K can usually recommend an attorney who will competently and professionally handle a client's needs in such other matters.