Matthew Kelley: I Am Barnes & Thornburg

I AM...

• A doting father to two children, Genevieve (10) and Parker (7). They love tumbling, singing, basketball and our two dogs Mabel and Boomer.
• Living the American Dream. My grandfather was the son of Russian immigrants and a semi-literate Pennsylvania anthracite coal miner. My dad is a hardworking, retired construction worker, and with the love and support of a large family, I made it through college, graduate school, and law school. From immigrant coal miner to law partner in three generations.
• The annoying person who remembers entire sections of movies or songs. My world is shaped by the desire to be able to quote “Airplane” or “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” at any event. You want to hear Jack Nicholson’s speech from a “A Few Good Men” from start to finish? I’m your huckleberry.
• An ardent Philadelphia sports fan whose greatest sporting memory was taking my daughter to Game 4 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia. The Phillies were no-hit in that game. So, by family rule, my daughter is bad luck and can never attend another important Phillies game in her entire life. Tough break for the eight-year-old, but the rules are the rules and the facts are the facts.
• An avid golfer who played collegiate golf at Towson University and now continues to fall further into ignominy as more of my time is spent with my family and with work.
• A lover of American muscle cars. Starting when I was 16 until today, I’ve owned six Mustangs, and a 2008 Dark Highland Green Bullitt is still in my garage.
• The proud owner of the most useless college degree available. I have a master’s in Russian and East European Studies with a specialty in Russian literature and film from Indiana University’s Russian and East European Institute.
• A traditional labor lawyer, whose father spent 30 years in a labor union and whose mother had him marching with picketing teachers as child. I tell my clients that I’ve been negotiating with unions since I was five.
• An avid cook. During COVID, I took over the dinner-making responsibilities for my family. I love to find new things for them to try, and I love to get creative in the kitchen. It calms my overactive mind and grounds me with my family.
• The youngest of three children. My sister, Kim, is an interior designer/space developer in Philadelphia, PA. My brother, Pat, is a stay-at-home dad who lives in Bellingham, WA.

This profile appeared in the January 2026 edition of I Am Barnes & Thornburg.

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