“There’s no substitute for hard work.”

Lydia Kelley

Chicago Advisory Board Member

Lydia R.B. Kelley spent her entire legal career at McDermott Will & Emery in the Tax group, specializing in federal corporate taxation. She was Managing Partner of the Chicago Office (the firm’s largest) and served on a number of firm committees, including Compensation and Recruiting. She co-founded the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and led the firm’s international alumni outreach initiatives.

Lydia served on the Advisory Board of the Federal Tax Institute for over twenty years and was the first woman to chair its annual tax conference, which draws tax professionals from all over the United States.

She is a member of the board of directors of the Chicago Botanic Garden and of the Friends of the Chicago River and was named a “Mover and Shaker” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

She received her undergraduate degree in Economics from Wellesley College and her law degree from The University of Michigan Law School.

Lydia and her husband reside in Winnetka and have two grown sons, both of whom live and work in Chicago.

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