January 27, 2023 | By Matthew Kellogg
Partner Kelli G. Hawley is retiring from the day-to-day practice of law after nearly four decades of counsel. Kelli most recently served as the Managing Partner of McCathern’s Los Angeles office. She will continue as an Of Counsel attorney at the firm, assisting her current clients as needed.
Kelli was a founding partner at the L.A. law firm Braden, Hinchcliffe & Hawley, LLP, which was founded in 2010 and went on to merge with McCathern in 2014. Prior to that, Kelli spent eight years at the law firm Dale, Braden & Hinchcliffe, where she rose to Managing Partner of Construction Litigation. Early in her career, Kelli was an associate at the law firms Williams, Berges & Sanford and Baraban & Teske.
Throughout her career, Kelli specialized in construction law, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in California. She regularly handled complex defense matters for developers, general contractors and trade contractors. She also specialized in handling California Civil Code Section 896 claims for small developers under Owner-Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP), facilitating a high pre-litigation resolution record. In addition, Kelli worked on real estate litigation matters, business contracts, construction injury, and personal injury disputes for her clients.
“Kelli has been an incredible leader, both at our firm and as an attorney, particularly in the field of California construction law,” said McCathern Managing Partner Arnold Shokouhi. “While we will miss her, we will never forget her impact and we are so proud of her for reaching this milestone,” he continued.
Kelli was interested in the legal profession from a young age. While an undergraduate student at the University of the Redlands, she interned with Honorable Patrick J. Morris while he was the Presiding Judge of the San Bernardino County Supreme Court. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1982, she went on to earn her J.D. at the University of San Diego School of Law in 1985. Following law school, Kelli clerked for special master/mediator Merville Thompson in San Diego, where she gained her initial experience with construction defect matters.
Kelli is looking forward to her retirement and spending more time with family and pursuing her passions. This includes her lifelong love of travel, which has already taken Kelli and her husband to over 80 countries and all seven continents.
On behalf of all the attorneys and staff at McCathern’s offices in Dallas, Frisco, Houston and Los Angeles, we congratulate Kelli on her exceptional career and wish her all the best as she enters this well-earned new stage.