Profile
Kelly L. McNamee focuses her practice on media/First Amendment law, with an emphasis on defending news and entertainment organizations from newsgathering and publication-related claims, including defamation matters. She has defended defamation cases in state and federal courts in various jurisdictions, with an emphasis on New York law. Kelly is also experienced representing the press in a wide range of matters involving applications for access to civil and criminal court proceedings and records, as well as in freedom of information law cases in federal and state courts.
Kelly also has deep experience representing clients in comprehensive regulatory proceedings addressing wholesale competitive electric markets in the Northeast. Her energy law practice is focused on the representation of national and international corporations that own and operate electric generating facilities in proceedings before the New York Public Service Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Concentrations
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Media and Entertainment Litigation
- Energy Law & Litigation
- eDiscovery
Capabilities
Experience
- Gannett Media Corp. v. United States, Case No. 22-2160 (2d Cir. December 20, 2022) – obtained Second Circuit’s vacatur of district court’s order sealing records pertaining to prosecutorial misconduct for failure to comply with First Amendment’s requirements.
- Sandmann v. Gannett Co., Inc.,2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132990 (E.D. Ky) (Jul. 26, 2022) (granting summary judgment dismissing defamation complaint on ground that statement plaintiff “blocked” a Native American Indian on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial constituted protected opinion under First Amendment).
- Acted as co-lead counsel to obtain the requisite State regulatory action authorizing the first sale of interests in permanently retired nuclear generating facilities in New York to a specialty company for prompt decommissioning.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “40 & Under - U.S. Edition,” 2024
- Listed, City & State, “Above & Beyond: Pride,” 2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States,
- Media, Technology and Telecoms - Media and Entertainment: Litigation, 2024
- Energy - Energy Regulation: Electric Power, "Other Key Lawyer," 2023
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America
- “Ones to Watch,” Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- “Ones to Watch,” Energy Law, 2024-2025
- Listed, Albany Business Review, “40 Under 40,” 2023
- Listed, City & State, “Pride Power 100,” 2021-2023
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Upstate New York Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2020-2022
- Listed, City & State, “Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Stars,” 2019
- Member, Law360 Editorial Advisory Board, Media & Entertainment, 2024
- Member, New York State Bar Association
- Executive Committee Member, Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region
Credentials
-
J.D., magna cum laude, Hofstra University School of Law, 2011
- Associate Editor, Hofstra Law Review
- B.A., cum laude, University of Rochester, 2005
- New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York