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Emmett M. Kelly
Partner
Columbus, OH
Partner
Columbus, OH
Emmett is a partner in the Public Finance Practice Group, as well as the Government Services, Commercial Finance and Construction Practice Groups. He has served as bond counsel, structuring counsel, underwriter’s counsel, developer’s counsel and purchaser’s counsel for various taxable and tax-exempt project and revenue bond financings, including private activity bonds (IDB’s), municipal, education, health care, renewable and alternative energy, and traditional general obligation, P.A.C.E, P3, P2 and 501 (c)(3) financings.
Emmett serves as bond counsel and special counsel on economic development financing and incentive projects utilizing tax increment financing, joint enterprise development districts, enterprise zones, energy special improvement districts, and community reinvestment areas. He also serves as counsel to economic development entities such as community improvement corporations, new community authorities, regional planning commissions, convention facilities authorities, water and sewer districts, and port authorities on general, economic development and special obligation revenue financing matters. In the traditional general obligation area, he serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and purchaser’s counsel for general obligation, special obligation revenue bond and note financings for municipalities, school districts, counties, townships, port authorities, convention facilities authorities and other public sector entities.
In the area of property assessed clean energy (P.A.C.E.), renewable and alternative energy projects, and on P3 (public-private partnerships) transactions, Emmett has served as legal counsel and as a consultant. He has worked on P3’s which have included tax increment financing, special assessments, private equity and assets, and governmental services and assets, for land development projects and public works.
Capital University Law School, J.D., 1999, magna cum laude
Capital University Law School Law Review, Staff
Order of the Curia
Capital University Law School Student Bar Association, President, 1998-1999
Hobart College, B.A., 1993
Chambers USA, Public Finance, 2025
The Best Lawyers in America®, Public Finance, 2020-2026
Business First Top Forty Under 40, 2006
Capital University Law School, Alumni Outstanding Service Award, 2009
Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (Appointed by Franklin County Board of Commissioners)
Ohio Tax Credit Authority (appointed by Governor), Member
Capital University, Board of Counselors, Past President
Capital University Law School Alumni Board, Member and past President
Homeport, Board of Directors, Chair
The Buckeye Ranch, Board of Directors
Upper Arlington Youth Lacrosse Association, Board of Directors, Past President
Leadership Columbus Program, 2003 graduate
Government Activities
Ohio Tax Credit Authority (appointed by Governor), Member
Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (Appointed by Franklin County Board of Commissioners)
July 21, 2025 | Experience
Frost Brown Todd (FBT) played a pivotal role in helping Defiance County secure a 10-year, 1.740% tax...
June 17, 2025 | Experience
Frost Brown Todd (FBT) played an instrumental role as legal counsel to Hexion Inc. in securing a 10-...
March 14, 2024 | Publications
What Is Selective Disclosure? The desire of investors to obtain additional information regarding iss...
January 5, 2024 | Publications
On October 27, the Biden-Harris administration announced new initiatives across various governmental...
May 25, 2023 | Publications
House Bill 501 (HB 501), which became effective April 6, 2023, amended Ohio Revised Code Section 570...
December 12, 2022 | Publications
In September of 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took enforcement actions against ...
August 3, 2022 | Blogs
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), signed into law on March 11, 2021, provided $350 billio...
December 18, 2021 | Publications
Tax increment finance (TIF) legislation continues to evolve in many states within the Frost Brown To...
November 9, 2021 | Experience
A team of Frost Brown Todd’s (FBT) Ohio and Kentucky Public Finance and Government Service att...
October 14, 2021 | Coronavirus Response Team
State and local governments across the United States have been overcome with analysis paralysis when...
July 16, 2020 | Blogs
Two bills from the House of Representatives (H.R.2, the Moving Forward Act, and H.R.3967, the Munici...
May 29, 2020 | Blogs
What is PACE financing? Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, also called EPAD (Energy Pr...
March 3, 2020 | Publications
A school district in Texas fell victim to a phishing attack, causing the district to miss payments o...
December 27, 2019 | Experience
On December 19, 2019, the first phase of financing for the new Columbus Crew MLS Stadium closed with...
December 12, 2019 | Experience
On December 4, 2019, the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (the “CFA”) issued two ...
June 12, 2018 | Publications
On June 5, 2018, Franklin County in Ohio issued its $250 million Various Purpose Sales Tax Revenue B...
December 18, 2017 | Publications
House and Senate Republicans unveiled their long awaited $1.5 trillion tax reform bill on Friday, De...
November 30, 2017 | Publications
Property Assessed Clean Energy or “PACE” financing is used in Ohio and many other states...
November 13, 2017 | Blogs
Although it is still very early in the tax reform process, provisions in the House tax bill propos...
March 27, 2017 | Publications
On March 1, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Release No. 36-80130 (the “R...
May 17, 2016 | Press Releases
Some 120 attendees from the logistics, finance and retail sectors gathered for LogisticsConnect in C...
April 12, 2016 | Press Releases
As a U.S. hotspot for logistics and a natural junction for key industry players, Columbus will be ho...
June 23, 2015 | Publications
The SEC issued a press release and 36 related enforcement orders on June 18, 2015, in connection wit...
January 6, 2015 | Publications
The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (the “Act”), H.R. 5771, became effective on December 19,...
October 30, 2012 | Experience
In February 2012, Frost Brown Todd was engaged by QIC Global Infrastructure (“QIC”) (a subsidiar...