Kelsey Tavares

Associate
About

Kelsey Tavares is a litigation associate in the firm's Product Liability and Class Actions practice, where she represents clients in complex, high stakes matters, including multidistrict litigations (MDLs), class actions, and coordinated state proceedings. She is adept at managing large-scale litigation strategically and efficiently and has been recognized both locally and nationally for her leadership and excellence in practice, including by the American Bar Association as one of the Top 40 Young Lawyers in the country.

Kelsey’s experience spans all phases of litigation, from early case investigation and pre-litigation assessment to bellwether analysis and selection, discovery, motion practice, fact and expert witness development, depositions, and trial. Her ability to synthesize complex legal, scientific, and regulatory issues allows her to deliver cohesive, forward-looking strategies that help clients balance risk exposure with broader business objectives.

In addition to her litigation practice, Kelsey advises clients on regulatory and compliance matters involving risk management, product development and launch, labelling, marketing, and strategic business initiatives. She helps clients navigate evolving FDA and FTC requirements to develop practical, business-aligned compliance solutions, drawing on her litigation experience to provide integrated, forward-looking counsel to anticipate and manage risk in highly regulated markets.

Kelsey also maintains an active and varied pro bono practice. She defended Karen Read in her high-profile jury trial, assisting with experts, Daubert-Lanigan motions and trial preparation. She has represented Special Immigrant Juvenile Status clients pursuing US citizenship, individuals facing homelessness due to their unsafe living conditions, and a class of individuals challenging deficiencies in the administration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Act entitlements, and has been recognized for her pro bono achievement.

Bar admissionsMassachusetts
CourtsUnited States District Court for the District of MassachusettsUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Awards

  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation, (2026)
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
    • Recognized, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, (2026)
    • Recognized, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, (2026)
    • Recognized, Life Sciences, (2026)
  • Top 40 Young Lawyers, On the Rise Award, American Bar Association, (2025)
  • Rising Star Honoree, New England Legal Awards, Law.com, (2025)
  • Up-and-Coming Lawyer Honoree, Excellence in the Law Award, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, (2024)
Education
  • J.D., Harvard Law School
  • B.A., University of North Carolina at Asheville

Publications

Seminars

  • Presenter, "Mass Tort MDL Primer," Boston Bar Association, January 2025
  • Presenter, "Expert Witness Fundamentals in Life Sciences," Lorman Education Services, October 2024
  • Presenter, "Redefining Products in the Digital Age: Software and AI Liability Risk," DLA Piper Products Liability Symposium, October 2024
  • Presenter, "Am I Regulated? FDA Regulation and What It Means for Your Business," Start Small Think Big, May 2023
  • Presenter, "ESG Supply Chain Implications," Corporate Counsel Section of New York State Bar, November 2022

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Co-Chair, Experts and Evidence Subcommittee, American Bar Association's Mass Torts Committee, (2026)
  • Member, Insurance and Tort Litigation Section Steering Committee, Boston Bar Association, (2024 – 2026)
  • Member, Young Lawyers Steering Committee, Defense Research Institute (DRI), (2022 – 2026)
  • Member, Food and Drug Law Institute Committee, (2023 – 2026)
  • Member, American Bar Association, (2020 – 2026)
  • Pathfinder, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), (2024)
  • Fellow, Public Interest Leadership Program, Boston Bar Association, (2023)