FRANK V. KELLY
Special Trial Counsel   Image of text that reads 'Download Bio' with an arrow pointing to the right.



Connecticut Office
E: fkelly@rebarkelly.com
T: 203-564-1971
C: 914-310-9414
F: 888-761-8299
Download CT vCard
One Stamford Plaza
263 Tresser Blvd, 9th Floor
Stamford, CT 06901

Kathy Ciesielka - Administrative Assistant
E: kciesielka@rebarkelly.com
T: 484-344-5325
Andrea Jones - Paralegal
E: ajones@rebarkelly.com
T: 267-705-4091

Frank is special trial counsel and the managing attorney of the Connecticut office at Rebar Kelly. He has deep and broad experience in liability practice. He has been advising and counseling clients in complex litigation matters for more than two decades. He defends clients in claims pertaining to complex high exposure cases including personal injury, medical malpractice, automobile crashes- no-fault actions, other transportation accident- truck, trains, airplanes- under and uninsured motorists, workplace accidents, injuries on property, scaffold collapses, ladder accidents, slip and trip accidents, allegations of defective products, securities arbitration and mediation, other professional liability (accountants, lawyers, financial analysts, architects, engineers, directors and officers) prescription medications, nursing home and hospital negligence, injuries at vacation resorts, hotels, and cruise ships, civil and constitutional rights violations, municipal liability, and a host of other kinds of business and personal disputes.

 
Professional Experience

Frank has served private interests as house counsel for international corporations, insurance company counsel for major property and casualty writers and in practice with law firms. Frank has also served the nation for twenty-five years in the United States Army. As a Colonel he is International Law Fellow, U.S. Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. He was chief counsel- Command Judge Advocate of a sustainment and logistics group. He was chief of Domestic Civil Support- formulating doctrine for response to nationwide crisis and major federal incidents. He has been Chief of Justice, Chief of Administrative Law and was long term Chief Counsel for Engineers, responsible for administering Justice, Compliance, Investigations, Operations and Fiscal Law- overseeing $2.2 billion of construction, rehabilitation and engineering projects. He has also led task forces for humanitarian relief missions in Central America.

Additionally, Frank has been elected Councilman for his municipality for multiple terms- responsible for conceiving, crafting and implementing legislation, managing personnel and administering budgets.

Education

Juris Doctor, St. John’s University School of Law, New York, NY

Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA

Graduate, Command and General Staff College, Leavenworth, KS

Advanced Trial Practice, Naval Justice School, Newport, Rhode Island

Post-graduate study and certificates in International Law, Contracts, Fiscal Law, Criminal Law, Judge Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville, VA

Bachelor of Arts, St. John’s University, New York, NY

Primary Practice Areas
Admiralty & Marine

Admiralty &
Marine

Auto-Liability

Automobile
Liability

Class-Action

Class
Action

Construction-Defect

Construction
Defect

Complex-Litigation

Complex
Litigation

Contribution

Contribution
Subrogation

Crisis-Management

Crisis
Management

Employment Law

Employment
Law

Environmental

Environmental
Coverage

Medical-Malpractice

Medical
Malpractice

Long Term Care

Long Term
Care

Professional-Liability

Professional
Liability

Reinsurance-and-Excess-Coverage

Excess
Coverage

Retail-&-Hospitality

Retail &
Hospitality

Security-Liability

Security
Liability

Social-Services-Liability

Social
Services

Third-Party-Coverage

Third Party
Coverage

First Party Coverage

First Party
Coverage

Class Action

Class
Action

Real-Estate-Agent-And-Broker-Defense

Real Estate & Broker Defense

Bar Memberships & Court Admissions
  • New York State Courts
  • Connecticut State Courts
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Professional Affiliations and Professional Organizations
  • Amicus Counsel New York State’s highest court on numerous occasions.
  • Chair (Emeritus) Committee on the Development of the Law, Defense Association of New York.
  • Served on the Litigation and Intelligence and National Security committee of the Federalist Society.
  • Member of the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Committee and International Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
  • New York State Bar Association.
  • Bronx County Bar Association
  • NYC Chapter of CLM, Board, Education Director
  • Northern Westchester Bar Association.
  • President of the Castle Club, an Engineer organization.
  • Reserve Officer’s Association
  • American Legion
  • St. John’s Law School Alumni Associations
  • Judge Advocate Association
  • Association of Towns (New York State)
  • Defense Research Institute, Trucking Law Committee
Recognitions and Honors

Bronze Star Medal for Combat Service in Iraq

Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award)

Army Commendation Medal (5th award)

Army Achievement Medal

Army Reserve Component

Achievement Medal (4th award)

National Defense Service Medal (2nd award)

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Iraqi Campaign Medal

Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device and Bronze Hourglass

Overseas Service Ribbon

Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon (4th award)

St. John’s University Rugby Football Club Alumni Man of the Year Award

Military Service Award- American Legion Moses Taylor Post, Mt Kisco, NY. October 2013

Speaking Engagements and Published Works

Strategies for Managing, Mitigating and Offsetting Costs of Data Breach Claims, CLM Annual Conference, Houston, March 15, 2018

Hocus Pocus: Plaintiff’s Lawyers Double Dipping Damages from the Non-Economic and Economic Well, New York Athletic Club, January 11, 2018

Frank has appeared for various news networks and formatted current event programs on television and radio and is frequently interviewed by print media on legal and national issues.

Legal Guide to Peace Operations- U.S. Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania 2016.

Rule of Law in Peacekeeping and Stability- U.S. Army War College 2016

International Human Rights and Law of Armed Conflict- U.S. Army annual seminar, various locations

Civil Liberties, National Counter-Terror Strategy and the Role of Lawyers- Northern Westchester Bar Association, 2014.

Negligent Premises Security Seminar- Chief Lecturer- Defense Association of New York (CLE)

Practicing in the Court of Claims-Presenter and panelist- New York City Bar- May 2013(CLE)

Federal Trial Practice- Courts Martial- 4th Legal Operations Detachment, New York, 2012

Federal Ethics in Contracting and Employment- U.S. Army – annual seminar and presentation, various sites and venues.

Religious Motif in Law and Nation Building- New York State Bar Journal, 2007

Disaster Management and Catastrophe Planning- Presenter and panelist- Belfor Academy, New Jersey 2007 (CLE)

Technology in the Courtroom- The Journal of the Defense Association of New York, 2004

Risk Management and Developments in Construction Law- Risk Engineering Annual Meeting, St. Petersburg, Florida 1999-2002

Report of Proceedings- Committee on Development of Law, Defense Association of New York.

Report from the Committee on the Development of the Law- Journal of the Defense Association of New York, 1998

If You Can’t Stand the Heat Law and Economics- New York Law Journal Press, 1989

Social Contract: Murder and the Death Penalty- New York State Bar Journal, 1989

Charitable & Civic Involvement and Personal Interests

Elected Councilman, Town of Lewisboro, NY (2nd 4 year term)- Conceive, draft, pass and implement legislation; additionally responsible for executive management of town.

Police Commissioner, Town of Lewisboro, NY (2nd 4 year term)

Merit Badge Counselor, Boy Scouts of America

Soccer Coach, Lewisboro Soccer Club

Basketball Coach. Lewisboro Parks and Recreation

Chair (Emeritus), Lewisboro Emergency Management Committee

District Leader, Lewisboro Town Committee

NYS Independent Judicial Election Qualifications Screening Committee (Appointed by Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals) - Multiple terms.

Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board (Appointed by County Executive)

Rugby Clinic Coach

Frank has a lifelong interest in sports. He was a collegiate athlete captaining his varsity Rugby team and playing in international competitions. He currently engages in on and off road racing, the occasional half -marathon, 10K and triathlon.