Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Ms. Kelly is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, (1973, Commerce and Business Administration, and 1982, Law), and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (1999, Masters of Law in Alternative Dispute Resolution). Ms. Kelly has been called to both the British Columbia and Ontario Bars. She has been licensed to practice law since 1983. Her private practice included civil, construction, corporate and commercial, employment, estates, insurance law, and personal injury disputes of varying complexities, in both Vancouver and Toronto. She has represented clients in all levels of courts in British Columbia, Ontario, and the Federal Courts, except for the Supreme Court of Canada.

She qualified as an Arbitrator in 1981, a Lawyer in 1983 and began her formal mediation practice in 1984. In addition to being a barrister she has been the arbitrator or mediator in over one thousand simple and complex disputes including: assault, franchise operations, construction, commercial, employment (including harassment and discrimination), civil, personal injury, trade and transportation.

Prior to law Ms. Kelly worked for an international airline, an international firm of Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants, and an international lifestyle corporation.

Ms. Kelly has developed or assisted in the development of many conferences and professional development programs including for The Advocates Society, the American Bar Association, the Canadian and Ontario Bar Associations, the International Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario (now ADRIO), The Canadian Institute, Federated Press, and a number of law firms, professional organizations and insurance companies. She is the author of numerous papers on mediation and ADR, co-author of Mediation: Principles, Process, Practice, the first Canadian textbook on mediation, published by Butterworths and Editor of O'Brien's Encyclopedia of Forms: Arbitration and Mediation, published by Canada Law Book.

Kathleen has been a member of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Province of Ontario, Health Professions Appeal and Review Board since 2003 and worked for the Ministry of the Attorney General, Province of Ontario, in two significant contract positions: Lead Counsel, RCMP Blood Task Force, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care; and Advisory Counsel, Walkerton Project, Ministry of the Attorney General.

• Chair, The Roger Fisher Negotiation Training Scholarship Committee.
• The Roger Fisher Tribute (Member, Organizing Committee).
• Co-chair Civil Litigation Section, Ontario Bar Association.
• Co-chair OBA Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation.
• Member, Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.
• Secretary and Member, Board of Management Moss Park Arena, (appointed by Council, the City of Toronto.)
• GIO Roster Mediator, Insurance Bureau of Canada.
• Member NAFTA 2022 Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Disputes.
• Member of the Chapter 17 Dispute Settlement Roster of the Agreement on Internal Trade (one of five original appointments by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade (Ontario)).
• Member of the first AIT Chapter 17 Panel, the "MMT" dispute, heard in 1998.
• Arbitrator, Canadian Transportation Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, for transportation disputes between shippers and carriers.
• Pre-hearing Arbitrator, Financial Services Commission (OIC), Province of Ontario.
• Third Party Neutral, Education Relations Commission, Province of Ontario.
• Third Party Neutral, Centre for Sport and Law, Ottawa, Canada.
• Designated arbitrator and mediator for sports and doping disputes, Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).
• Chief Measurer, Tornado Class Sailing, 1984 Olympic Games, Long Beach California.
• Chief Measurer, Tornado Class Sailing, Western Canada.
• Private neutral and approved roster or panel member for a number of local, national and international organizations, and mediation centres, including the Tri-partite Registry of Mediators for the International Mediation Centre, Dallas Texas.
• Director and Co-chair Standards and Criteria Committee and member of third party neutral panel, the Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution.
• Member of the User's Committee - Alternate Dispute Resolution Centre, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court (General Division).
• Roster Mediator, Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program, Toronto and Ottawa.
• Member, Case Management and ADR Committees of the Advocates' Society
• Founding member and Past Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) section of the Canadian Bar Association-Ontario; Past Chair National ADR Section, Canadian Bar Association; elected member of National Council.
• Member, American Bar Association and Co-chair of the Associates Committee, Dispute Resolution Section.
• Chair, co-chair, Lecturer or Trainer of/in numerous Skills Development Programs including interviewing, communication, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and advocacy for lawyers, arbitrators, mediators, educators and other professionals. Ms. Kelly was the 2003 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

ADR Chambers is Canada's largest group of Retired Judges, Barristers, Solicitors and other ADR Experts who are dedicated to the resolution of disputes in a private, expeditious and cost-effective manner. In addition to the Mediation and Arbitration services, ADR Chambers offers various and other services of alternative dispute resolution.