Kelly M. Reid
Litigation and International Trade Attorney
Kelly is a litigation attorney whose practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, product liability, international trade, and regulatory compliance.
Kelly’s international trade practice includes advising on tariff exposure, import compliance, country‑of‑origin determinations, customs enforcement, and antidumping and countervailing duty matters. She has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Court of International Trade.
She also advises clients on product safety, labeling, packaging, reporting obligations, government inquiries, and compliance issues involving the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other federal and state agencies.
Prior to entering private practice, Kelly served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Clifton Newman of the South Carolina Circuit Court. She is licensed in North and South Carolina.
- J.D., cum laude, University of South Carolina School of Law, 2018
- B.A., cum laude, Colgate University, 2015
- DRI, Member
- South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association
- North Carolina
- United States District Court of the Western District of North Carolina
- South Carolina
- United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
The best thing about Ward and Smith is: The people. They’re sharp, steady, and genuinely invested in doing good work. There’s no ego in the room—just colleagues who show up, share what they know, and help you get to the right answer.
My motto: I try to live by the idea of leaving things better than I found them. In my practice, that means bringing order to complex situations and helping clients navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence.
I became a lawyer because: I wanted a career where I would never stop learning. The law is constantly evolving, and every client brings a new industry, product, or problem to understand. That ongoing challenge keeps me engaged and allows me to bring fresh insight to the people I work with in every matter.
