Michael K. Kelly

For 15 years, Michael has worked at the intersection of the law, politics, public policy, and business to shape public opinion and media coverage on industries, candidates, causes, and organizations. Michael knows how to influence outcomes and help his clients meet their goals, whether you’re trying to change a law, grow your business, raise your profile, win a lawsuit, respond to an investigation, or survive a communications crisis.

Michael has extensive experience creating and executing comprehensive strategic communications plans for high-profile clients, including statewide elected officials, and high-stakes matters, including litigation from county courthouses up to the US Supreme Court.

With a special emphasis on messaging, media relations, earned media, and crisis communications, Michael can provide your business or organization with the full range of communications services you need to succeed, including social media strategy, event planning, grassroots/coalition building, executive communications, and more.

Michael served for eight years in senior roles in the administration of Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (2014-2022), including six years as Director of Communications and two years as Chief of Staff. He created and executed successful communications plans for litigation and policy matters that garnered local, regional, national, and international media coverage, including project permitting, government investigations, environmental enforcement, cannabis legalization, utility regulation, consumer investigations and litigation, grant/incentive compliance, civil rights litigation, crime prevention, data breach enforcement, and much more. He works across Hunton’s slate of priority industries including Retail and Consumer Products, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Energy, and Healthcare and Life Sciences.

Prior to his service in the Office of Virginia Attorney General, Michael worked for Tim Kaine during his term as Governor of Virginia and during his successful campaign for US Senate, and for Congressman Tom Perriello and the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus. In addition to his work in government and politics, Michael has managed public relations and communications work for private-sector clients, issue organizations, higher education institutions, and law enforcement clients.

• Chief of Staff and Communications Director, Office of Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, 2014-2022
• Public Relations Specialist, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013-2014
• Traveling Press Secretary, Kaine for US Senate Campaign, 2011-2013
• Deputy Press Secretary, US Representative Tom Perriello, 2010-2011
• Communications Director, Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, 2010
• Assistant Press Secretary, Senior Press Aide, Press Aide, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine 2007-2010