Boies Schiller Flexner LLP announced today that former supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jacqueline Kelly has joined the firm as a partner in its New York City office.
During her time at SDNY, Kelly served as the inaugural chief of the Criminal Division’s Civil Rights Unit, as well as the acting chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Unit. She returns to private practice after nearly a decade in government service and will leverage her experience to represent corporations and individuals facing high-profile regulatory or criminal investigations, as well as victims of sexual assault and other crimes.
“I am thrilled to be joining BSF’s powerhouse roster of trial lawyers. I was immediately drawn to BSF’s entrepreneurial culture, where attorneys are encouraged to pursue compelling matters and to draw upon their multi-faceted experiences, rather than being confined to rigid practice areas,” Kelly said. “I’m looking forward to developing a practice that incorporates all the components of my prior experience at SDNY and in private practice, including antitrust, complex civil litigation, asset recovery, crisis management, and other cases on both the plaintiff’s and the defense side.”
The SDNY Criminal Division’s Civil Rights Unit was established in 2021 to prosecute criminal civil rights offenses by institutional and individual actors, including violations of constitutional and federal rights, human trafficking, sexual abuse, environmental crimes, voting rights cases, and more. From its inception, Kelly built out the unit with senior prosecutors and investigated and oversaw numerous significant prosecutions, including, most recently, the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, which Kelly directly supervised. As acting chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Unit, she oversaw dozens of violent and organized crime cases during investigation and at trial. Kelly also has significant appellate experience from her time at SDNY, including arguing and prevailing on appeal in cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits.
“The nature and volume of work that a prosecutor at Jackie’s level acquires at SDNY, and the relationships across all levels of government that she has cultivated, make her an ideal addition to the firm,” said Chairman Matthew L. Schwartz, who joined BSF nearly a decade ago from SDNY. “Jackie brings a deep understanding of how to develop a case and then present it to a judge or jury in a compelling way.”
Among Kelly’s notable cases while at the U.S. Attorney’s office are the prosecutions of Ricardo Cruciani, a prominent doctor who sexually abused dozens of patients; Peter Nygard, the CEO of a multinational clothing company, for racketeering and sex trafficking; and 20 members and associates of the LaCosa Nostra crime family, including its leadership, for racketeering, murder, and firearms offenses.
“Jackie’s work in the SDNY has included high-profile, complex criminal prosecutions,” said partner Peter Skinner, who co-leads the global investigations and white collar defense practice. “In addition to the headline-grabbing sexual misconduct cases, she has a wealth of experience in matters involving RICO, fraud, and corruption. Combined with the strong relationships she has formed at SDNY, she will be a valuable asset to the firm and its clients. I look forward to working with her.”
Kelly began her career as a litigation associate at an international law firm, before completing clerkships with the Hon. Ronnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Hon. Kevin McNulty of U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.