Toyja E. Kelley

Mr. Kelley is a partner in the firm's Litigation Department.  His areas of concentration include commercial litigation, civil litigation, and professional liability.  Mr. Kelley has trial experience in the state and federal courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Kelley has represented clients in matters involving:

• commercial claims
• insurance coverage
• professional liability
• business torts
• construction litigation

Mr. Kelley also represents a publicly-traded real estate investment trust in commercial and construction related matters.  He has significant experience in representing a large financial services company in numerous cases involving its Maryland real estate portfolio.

Mr. Kelley is a member of the Defense Research Institute and Maryland Defense Counsel.  In 2009, Mr. Kelley was appointed Chair of DRI's Diversity Committee after serving as its Vice Chair since 2007.  Prior to his appointments, he has been a member of DRI’s Diversity Committee and Diversity Seminar Steering Committee and has participated in its Diversity Seminar programs since their inception in 2006.  (For more information on this year's program, visit 2010 DRI Diversity Seminar.)  Mr. Kelley has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Defense Counsel since 2005.  Mr. Kelley is also an active member of the Insurance Coverage Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation.  He participated in their annual programs in 2006 and 2007.

In 2008, the Just The Beginning Foundation (JTBF) held its eighth biennial conference in the Virginia/ Washington, D.C./ Maryland region.  JTBF is a national non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting greater diversity in the field of law.  Mr. Kelley served as a member of the JTBF Conference Executive Planning Committee on behalf of the State of Maryland.  In addition, he served as a member of the Development Committee.

The JTBF "Robes in the Schools" programs brought together dozens of federal and state judges, lawyers, law professors, law students, college students, and high school and middle school students of diverse backgrounds to share in the judges' inspirational personal stories of their pursuit of careers as lawyers and distinguished jurists.  Participating judges also discussed strategies and tips for success in the profession, including much needed insight regarding career-building opportunities through externships and law clerkships within the court system.  Several judges also participated in public panel discussions focused on contemporary legal issues.

In addition, JTBF hosted a Mock Trial program in Washington, DC, in which dozens of high school students from across the region played the roles of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors in a mock trial based upon a trial transcript and evidentiary exhibits derived from an actual case.  For many, this event provided their first hands-on introduction to legal argument and the practice of law.