Banner Witcoff’s Scott M. Kelly is named a “DC Rising Star” in the National Law Journal’s 2023 Legal Awards, recognizing him as one of the region’s 40 most promising lawyers age 40 and under.
The National Law Journal’s legal awards “highlights lawyers who have wielded influence in their practice areas in the D.C. area and beyond.” Recipients are considered innovators who have built unique practice niches, secured wins for clients, built robust books of business and possess strong leadership qualities. The firms and attorneys recognized stood out for their “work guiding clients through high-stakes litigation, their cutting-edge approaches to environmental, social and corporate governance issues, as well as their diversity and inclusion initiatives.”
In his National Law Journal profile, Scott outlines how he and the Banner team helped cybersecurity company Centripetal Networks develop an industry-leading cyber security patent portfolio regarding packet filtering technology. Scott is also the firm’s patent prosecution team lead for credit card and banking titan, Capital One.
When asked about working with Scott, Sean Moore, CTO of Centripetal, said in the award submission: “Scott is more than just an intellectual property attorney; he is a trusted advisor. He invests heavily in understanding our business goals and complex technologies and incorporates that knowledge into our patents. He explains the nuances of patent law in easy-to-understand terms so that we can make the best business decisions regarding our patent portfolio. He doesn’t just understand the legal issues—he takes the time to understand our technology innovations, our business, our markets, and our competitors to achieve the best results.”
Scott credits the many mentors he’s had in his career for helping him get where he is, and aims to pay it forward so that others can have the same opportunities. Scott actively works with UVA law students to offer his guidance on careers in patent law. And he recently began mentoring startup founders at Virginia Tech through the cs/root program. He is active in educating the next generation of lawyers, having served as an adjunct professor at American University’s Washington College of Law. He currently serves as a Den Leader with his local Cub Scout pack, teaching youth the value of giving to their community through service projects and civic engagement.
The full list of the 2023 National Law Journal’s Legal Awards can be found by clicking here.
Posted: September 18, 2023
