Miller Nash Welcomes Former Port of Portland General Counsel Carla Kelley to Portland Office

PORTLAND, Ore. – Miller Nash LLP is pleased to announce that Carla Kelley has joined the firm’s Portland office. Kelley joins the firm’s business practice, where she will work with clients on government and regulatory issues.

“This is a bit of a homecoming for Carla,” said Kieran Curley, managing partner of Miller Nash. “She’s a Miller Nash alum, who initially joined our team straight out of law school. Since then, she’s gone on to amass a remarkable range of complex business and regulatory experience. We’re excited to have her rejoin the team.”

Kelley comes to Miller Nash from the Port of Portland, where she served as general counsel for the past 10 years. In this role, she managed the organization’s 15-person in-house legal division, providing full-service legal advice to the Port’s business lines. Kelley was a member of the Port’s director group and served as adviser to the Port Commission on legal matters. She provided legal management on a wide range of issues, from Port governance and contamination liability to complex real estate transactions and municipal bond issuance.

Previously, Kelley served as deputy general counsel at Northwest Natural, where she was responsible for employment law, contracts, and regulatory matters involving the Public Utility Commission, the Energy Facility Siting Council and other regulatory bodies.

Kelley has been active in the legal committees of a number of professional associations, including the Airports Council International, the American Association of Port Authorities, and the American Gas Association. She has also served on the boards of directors of various community organizations, such as City Club of Portland, Portland Center Stage, and Morrison Center.

Kelley is a member of the Oregon State Bar and was a founding member of the Oregon State Bar Corporate Counsel Committee. She is a past member of the Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a law degree from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College.