Kelli Scheid Smith

Partner

Kelli focuses on the acquisition, development, financing, sale, and leasing of commercial real estate; corporate structuring, finance, joint ventures, licensing, and other corporate matters; and sports-related transactions.

Kelli Smith Portrait

Clients describe Kelli as someone who quickly understands the specific unique challenges facing their business as well as their overarching goals from a big picture standpoint. They praise her drafting skills, negotiation skills, political savvy, creative problem solving, and strong work ethic.

She is a member of the firm’s Consumer Products, Fashion & Retail, Sports, and Venture Capital & Emerging Businesses industry groups.

Client Work

Real Estate

  • Represents Goldman Sachs in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, and sale of senior housing, office, and multi-family properties.
  • Represents the Corten Real Estate Partners in connection with preferred and common equity investments and mortgage and mezzanine financing of hospitality and multi-family assets.
  • Represents the Buccini/Pollin Group in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, and sale of hotel, office, and other commercial properties.
  • Represents multiple developers and operators in financing the acquisition and development, and refinancing, of senior housing communities and medical office buildings.
  • Represents Vox Media in the leasing of commercial office space.

Sports

  • Represents the owner of a Minor League Baseball team on the development of a new 10,000-seat stadium.
  • Represents a leading venue management company and producer of live event experiences with respect to its strategic development projects, including on leases, consulting and management agreements, and joint venture arrangements involving arenas, amphitheaters, and other event venues.
  • Represents the operator of professional beach volleyball events on its venue licensing, sponsorship, and other commercial agreement matters.
  • Represents the manager of an elite boys’ high school basketball conference on the formation of the conference and a joint venture agreement with participating high schools.
  • Represents the owner and developer of a multipurpose NFL stadium in connection with naming rights, sponsorship, and suite licensing.

Corporate

  • Represents fashion companies, including Aspen Collection, Cariuma, JOSEPH, and Johanna Ortiz, in connection with licensing and general corporate matters.
  • Represents multiple companies behind award-winning chefs on their restaurant leasing and operations, corporate finance, and licensing matters.

Previous Work

Before joining ArentFox Schiff, Kelli was a financial analyst at FleetBoston Financial (now Bank of America).

Professional Activities

Kelli is the San Francisco Vice Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and a member of the board of the AFS Center for Justice. She also serves as outside general counsel to several non-profit organizations.

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

  • Kelli has been named among the “Top Women Lawyers” in California by the Daily Journal, has been recognized as a recommended attorney in Real Estate by the Legal 500, and was selected multiple times as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
  • Kelli was a Hardy Cross Dillard Fellow and served on the editorial board of the Virginia Tax Review while at the University of Virginia School of Law. 

Life Beyond the Law

Kelli enjoys volunteering. She has been involved with AmeriCorps; Children, Youth & Family Services; Make-a-Wish Foundation; Ronald McDonald House; Special Olympics; the Whitman-Walker Clinic; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and Legal Aid Society of DC. She currently is a Member of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of San Francisco.

In her spare time, Kelli tours the playgrounds of Marin County with her two young daughters and watches college basketball.

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