Kelly Twiss  Noonan - Managing Shareholder, Seattle

Kelly Twiss Noonan

Managing Shareholder | Seattle


Kelly has served as Managing Shareholder for nearly 20 years, where she guides the firm’s mission to provide experienced, tailored and practical legal advice to help clients succeed.

In addition to her primary responsibilities for managing the firm’s business, her legal practice combines business advising and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on consumer class action defense, as well as advertising and consumer law.

Admissions

  • Washington
  • U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Education

  • University of Washington School of Law, J.D. with honors (1989)
  • University of Washington, Executive Development Program at the Foster School of Business (2006)
  • University of Notre Dame, B.A. in English, cum laude (1985)

Recognition & Honors

  • Women of Influence, Puget Sound Business Journal (2022)
  • The Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation (2019 - 2024)
  • Power 100, Puget Sound Business Journal (2020)
  • Top-Rated Lawyer, West Coast, National Law Journal (2017)
  • Washington Super Lawyers (2018)
  • Rising Star, Washington Super Lawyers
  • AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review

Representative Work

  • Provide ongoing advice and training regarding advertising, marketing, promotions, sweepstakes and contracts, credit practices, and general business regulation.
  • Defended and successfully resolved numerous consumer class actions against major telecommunications companies involving claims of deception, unfair business practices and breach of contract.
  • Defended nationwide consumer class actions involving false advertising and fraud claims as well as Federal Communications Act preemption and filed tariff issues.

Publications & Presentations

  • "Partner Compensation," speaker, 2023 Annual General Meeting, Lawyers Associated Worldwide (October 2023) 
  • Puget Sound Business Journal 100 Best Workplaces in Washington VIP Panelist (August 2023)
  • "Effective Referrals," panelist, 2022 Annual General Meeting, Lawyers Associated Worldwide (October 2022)
  • "Hiring Made Easy: How to Diversify Your Law Firms," panelist, The DEI Roundtable (AirBnB, Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft, SNAP, TikTok, and Twitter) (October 2022)
  • "Reconnecting in the Workplace," panelist, National Conference of Women’s Bar Association, American Bar Association Midyear Meeting (February 2022)
  • "Building a Culture of Gender Equity: Insights from a Majority-Women-Owned Firm," author, Washington State Bar Association's NW Sidebar (September 2021)
  • “Mental Health and Well-Being,” speaker, Inn of Court meeting (April 2021)
  • "Sleepless in Seattle," featured guest, Territory Story Podcast (October 2020)
  • "Leadership and Economic Empowerment for Women in Times of Crisis," panelist, EY and Women’s White Collar Defense Association (October 2020)
  • "Talent Unbound," author, article in Best Lawyers Business Edition (Spring 2020)
  • "The Role of the Courts on the Eve of Impeachment," moderator, KCBA Annual Bench Bar Conference (November 2019)
  • "Advancing Women in the Law," panelist, Beating the Odds CLE co-hosted by Stokes Lawrence and the King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers (November 2019)
  • "The Business Case for Advancing Women in the Workplace," moderator, 2018 Employment Law Update for Washington Employers (November 2018)
  • CEO Summit, panelist with Krista Nelson, Puget Sound Business Journal's Best Workplaces Awards Ceremony (August 2018)
  • "Maintaining a Constructive Workplace in the Era of 'MeToo' and Political Polarization," facilitator, LAW Americas Regional Conference (April 2018)
  • "Women Lawyers Making History," interviewed for article in King County Bar Bulletin (March 2018)
  • "Trailblazers in Gender Parity," panelist, CREW program (February 2018)
  • "Leadership Culture and Your Firm," presenter, LAW Annual General Meeting  (October 2017)
  • "Beating the Odds," speaker, presented by Mills Meyers Swartling (November 2015)
  • "Women Leaders: Maximizing Your Potential," panelist, presented by Stokes Lawrence (July 2015)
  • Professional Spotlight with Carpe Juvenis (November 2014)
  • “Fight or Flight, or Why Attorneys Leave Legal Employers,” panelist, Legal Executive Diversity Summit presented by the Washington Initiative for Diversity (May 2014)
  • “Law Firm Practice Economics,” panelist, Washington Leadership Institute (March 2014)
  • "Path to Partner," panelist, WAMBAC (Washington State Minority Bar Association Collaboration Project) statewide diversity conference (October 2013)
  • "Plugging the Leaky Pipeline: The Pay Gap," speaker & panelist, presented by Washington Women Lawyers (June 2013)
  • "Tips on Keeping Your Legal Practice Profitable in the Economic Downturn," Fourth Annual Washington State Diversity Conference (June 2009)
  • "How to Build a Successful Private Practice: Mother Attorney Leaders and Rainmakers Share Their Wisdom," Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (March 2009)
  • "Basic Legal Issues in Advertising," National Business Institute's Preventing Lawsuits and Violations in Advertising and Promotions (April 2008)

Professional & Community Activities

  • Americas Regional Representative and Executive Committee Member, Lawyers Associated Worldwide
  • President and Executive Committee Member, King County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees
  • Member, CEO Connect
  • Volunteer, King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinic