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Kelly
Lewis

Position
Partner
Office
Birmingham

Kelly Lewis is a partner in the tax practice and leads the tax credit finance team.


For the majority of her practice, Kelly has focused exclusively on representing investors and lenders in LIHTC transactions across the country. Kelly focuses on all aspects of the representation of lenders and investors in connection with affordable housing transactions, including the use of traditional construction and permanent financing, federal and state tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, tax exempt loans, MTEBs, HOME loans, CDBG funds, HUD, RAD and AHP grants or loans, RD loans, CITC, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and others.

Kelly also has experience representing various banks in commercial real estate and industrial lending matters as well as other real estate clients through all phases of development, including acquisition, financing, leasing, and disposition in connection with hotel, retail, office, industrial, market rate housing, and affordable housing projects.

Before joining Jones Walker, Kelly co-founded Liles & Rushin, a boutique law firm focused on representing lenders and investors in affordable housing transactions around the country. Prior to forming Liles & Rushin, she worked with Birmingham law firm Maynard, Cooper & Gale handling commercial lending, public finance, real estate, and affordable housing matters for clients.

Noteworthy

  • Birmingham Business Journal, Best of the Bar (2024)
  • The Legal 500 United States, Real Estate (2019); Tax – US Taxes: Non-Contentious (2023, 2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Real Estate Law (listed annually since 2023), and Tax Law (listed annually since 2025)
  • Birmingham Business Journal, Women to Watch (2022)
  • B-Metro Magazine, Top Women Attorneys (2020)
  • ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development, Chair (2019–2020), Governing Committee
  • Birmingham Business Journal, Top 40 Under 40 (2014)

Publications

  • "Deferring Reality on Tax Relief," Jones Walker LLP Tax Client Alert, January 17, 2024

Presentations

  • "Introduction to Negotiation of the Partnership Agreement," ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Fall Boot Camp, Oakland, California, September 27, 2024
  • "Step back from the Ledge: How to live with inflation, construction delays, and high interest rates," MAAHP Annual Affordable Housing Summit, Jackson, Mississippi, November 10, 2022
  • Affordable Housing Investors Council Monthly Meeting, May 20, 2021
  • "LIHTC: Partnership Agreements – Key Terms and Negotiations," American Bar Association’s Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development 2020 Virtual Boot Camp, October 27, 2020
  • "AHF Live!" 2019 Affordable Housing Developers Summit, Chicago, Illinois, November 18–20, 2019

Memberships

  • American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development:
    • Chair, Governing Committee (2020)
    • Co-Chair, Planning Committee, 2013 Conference and 2014 Conference
  • Mississippi Association of Affordable Housing Providers, Board of Directors
  • American Bar Association, Tax Section
  • Alabama Bar Association
  • Birmingham Bar Association
Birmingham
Suite 1100
420 20th St N
Birmingham, AL 35203
D: 205.244.5314
F: 205.244.5403
Emailklewis@joneswalker.com

Education

  • The University of Alabama School of Law
    JD, magna cum laude, 2001
    Alabama Law Review, Articles Editor; Hugo Black Scholar; Dean M. Leigh Harrison Award recipient; Order of the Coif
  • Georgetown University
    BS, 1996
  • Gemological Institute of America, Graduate Gemologist

Bar Admissions

  • Alabama

Related Practices

  • Corporate
  • Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Tax Credit Programs
  • Tax Credit Finance
  • Tax
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