By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then consider Bloomfield Hills attorney Kelly Allen a true believer in the proverb long attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato.
The oldest of 10 children, Allen was finishing law school at Wayne State University in 1983 when two of her brothers were coincidentally purchasing their first bar and restaurant, a business they named the “Landshark” in the college town of East Lansing.
“I did not handle the purchase for my brothers, but right out of the blocks they received violations from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) for sales to minors and overcrowding,” Allen indicated. “They were inexperienced then – as was I. But they asked for my help and I did my best, absolutely immersing myself in the liquor-control code cover to cover.
“Fortunately, I was able to negotiate a settlement that let them keep their liquor license,” said Allen, a product of Marian High School and Michigan State University. “We all learned from that experience that a business – particularly in the restaurant industry – is only as strong as its weakest link.”
The lesson – and her dogged determination to zealously represent her clients – have served Allen well over the course of a 40-plus-year career in the law where she has gained a reputation as one of the foremost liquor-law experts in Michigan.
“It wasn’t by design,” Allen said of her path to legal prominence. “I initially wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment law field after working with Henry Baskin for a short time. He was a star in that field, representing a number of TV and radio personalities and music groups.”
But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, two seemingly divergent fields where she found traction despite battling a series of health challenges.
“I was diagnosed with lupus when I was first starting my career and it has been an ongoing challenge since then,” Allen said of the autoimmune disease that most commonly affects women in the 15-45 age bracket. “It is just something that I’ve had to deal with most of my life in terms of joint pain, fever, rashes, and seizures. It can be debilitating, but it can be managed by medications and a positive attitude, although I occasionally will have to resort to a ‘pity party’ for how it has impacted me.”
As someone who has long suffered from the disease, Allen has felt a duty to support and guide others similarly affected, especially women with young children who are struggling with the medical uncertainties related to lupus.
“I just talked with a young woman the other night, trying to encourage her as she deals with the effects of being sick while working and raising a family,” Allen related. “I know firsthand how hard it can be.”
In 2006, Allen dealt with a double whammy when she was diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer, undergoing surgery and then radiation treatments.
“It was a scary time since my two boys were young and I needed to be there for them,” said Allen, who relied heavily on her faith and her circle of family and friends to beat the cancer odds.
She even fondly recalls handling a city council hearing for a client a day after being released from the hospital following cancer surgery.
“I was wheeled in there and didn’t miss a beat,” Allen noted, although she said the experience gave her flashbacks to the 1989 black comedy “Weekend at Bernie’s” when a couple of corporate underlings prop up their deceased boss who was scheduled to host a posh party at his beach house in the Hamptons.
“I’m a science project,” she said with wry smile.
Fortunately for Allen, she has lived to tell about her brushes with death and feels that they have given her a fresh perspective on life’s priorities.
“Once you’re confronted with serious health situations, you realize there is so much more to life than work,” she said.
The admission runs counter to the grueling 12-hour work days that Allen regularly puts in as a partner at Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop, PLLC, the Bloomfield Hills law firm that marked its 30th anniversary in 2025.
She views her work schedule as the ultimate “labor of love,” relishing the daily opportunity to help a wide range of clients deal with “all facets of liquor licensing,” including business formation, lease and land purchase negotiations, license acquisition and transfers, and violations before the MLCC.
“I can’t see myself ever retiring since I love the work so much,” Allen admitted. “I might want to go at a different pace, but I get a real sense of enjoyment in helping our clients with their legal needs.”
One of her most challenging legal assignments involved coordinating all of the liquor licensing requirements for the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, a three-day late April extravaganza that attracted nearly 800,000 people to the downtown over the course of the event.
“It was a huge undertaking, making sure that organizers complied with all of the liquor law regulations,” Allen indicated. “There were so many moving parts, coupled with the fact that Detroit shattered all attendance records for the NFL Draft. In all respects, it turned out to be a great success and we were glad to play a part in it.”
A past president of the Oakland County Bar Association, Allen has served as a mentor to many young lawyers in the legal community, including her associate Jessica Hallmark, who joined Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop in 2017.
“Kelly Allen is a wonderful mentor, colleague and friend, and a true force in the legal and hospitality community,” said Hallmark, a University of Michigan alumna. “As a relatively new lawyer, she ventured into the area of liquor licensing law so she could help her brothers purchase their first bar. Through charm, grit, hard work and determination, she was able to turn that early experience into a successful specialty law practice. Today, she is one of the foremost experts on liquor licensing law in the State of Michigan, having literally written the book on the subject and represented clients across the State of Michigan.
“Beyond being a Michigan liquor law expert, Kelly is an expert on building relationships,” noted Hallmark, who earned her law degree from Wayne State University. “Her exuberance is infectious, and she is always fun to be with. But beyond that, she has a unique talent for making people feel special and appreciated. That’s because she genuinely cares about others and goes out of her way to show it. At the same time, she is tough as nails. I have seen her take some hard knocks in life, but she is never down for long, and she always responds with firm resolve and good humor. I am grateful for the support she has given me, both personally and professionally, and I’m fortunate to call her my friend.”
Allen is the mother of two sons, Nicholas and Chris, both alums of Michigan State University.
“They are my pride and joy,” said Allen, who relished being an “active parent” during their formative years, helping produce school talent shows, serving as a “room mom,” and attending countless baseball and basketball games.
Nicholas, a product of Notre Dame Prep, is an airfield civil engineer in Denver. Chris, also a graduate of Notre Dame Prep, followed his mother into the law after graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2023.
“I’m blessed that Chris (Tower) works for us and is doing a great job in handling liquor licensing matters,” Allen indicated. “I was very surprised when he told me that he wanted to go to law school, but he has been a great addition to our team here.”
Allen’s late parents, Chandra and Jack, were “powerful forces” in her life.
“My dad was the general manager of WDIV-TV in Detroit for years, while my mom was simply an amazing person in every way possible,” Allen declared. “They were both only children, but they went on to have 10 children and 26 grandchildren. They were really remarkable people.”
Of her nine siblings, two brothers are also attorneys. Joe Allen is a former federal prosecutor who also has held high-level roles with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and other federal agencies. Brother Peter Allen is general counsel for a large shipping company in New York.
Her brothers – Jim, Michael, Tom, and Dan – have been in the restaurant business in Michigan and Chicago. Her two other brothers, David and Tim, have followed in the broadcasting footsteps of their father.
Allen’s sister, Elaine, serves as the other “bookend” for all those brothers. She is a human resources director in the city of Westport, Conn.
As the most senior sibling in her family, Allen said she feels an inherent responsibility in keeping everyone tightly knit together.
“I’ve always been the ringleader in the family,” she said proudly. “Over the years, I’ve made a habit of making dinner for 30 on two hours notice. It’s another one of my labors of love.”
In a favorite family photo, Kelly Allen is flanked by her two sons, Chris (left) and Nicholas.
For the past 15 years, Kelly Allen has spent her Thanksgiving Day mornings walking along Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, spreading holiday joy to parade-goers as a member of the Distinguished Clown Corps, a group of more than 200 business and community leaders.
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then consider Bloomfield Hills attorney Kelly Allen a true believer in the proverb long attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato.
The oldest of 10 children, Allen was finishing law school at Wayne State University in 1983 when two of her brothers were coincidentally purchasing their first bar and restaurant, a business they named the “Landshark” in the college town of East Lansing.
“I did not handle the purchase for my brothers, but right out of the blocks they received violations from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) for sales to minors and overcrowding,” Allen indicated. “They were inexperienced then – as was I. But they asked for my help and I did my best, absolutely immersing myself in the liquor-control code cover to cover.
“Fortunately, I was able to negotiate a settlement that let them keep their liquor license,” said Allen, a product of Marian High School and Michigan State University. “We all learned from that experience that a business – particularly in the restaurant industry – is only as strong as its weakest link.”
The lesson – and her dogged determination to zealously represent her clients – have served Allen well over the course of a 40-plus-year career in the law where she has gained a reputation as one of the foremost liquor-law experts in Michigan.
“It wasn’t by design,” Allen said of her path to legal prominence. “I initially wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment law field after working with Henry Baskin for a short time. He was a star in that field, representing a number of TV and radio personalities and music groups.”
But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, two seemingly divergent fields where she found traction despite battling a series of health challenges.
“I was diagnosed with lupus when I was first starting my career and it has been an ongoing challenge since then,” Allen said of the autoimmune disease that most commonly affects women in the 15-45 age bracket. “It is just something that I’ve had to deal with most of my life in terms of joint pain, fever, rashes, and seizures. It can be debilitating, but it can be managed by medications and a positive attitude, although I occasionally will have to resort to a ‘pity party’ for how it has impacted me.”
As someone who has long suffered from the disease, Allen has felt a duty to support and guide others similarly affected, especially women with young children who are struggling with the medical uncertainties related to lupus.
“I just talked with a young woman the other night, trying to encourage her as she deals with the effects of being sick while working and raising a family,” Allen related. “I know firsthand how hard it can be.”
In 2006, Allen dealt with a double whammy when she was diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer, undergoing surgery and then radiation treatments.
“It was a scary time since my two boys were young and I needed to be there for them,” said Allen, who relied heavily on her faith and her circle of family and friends to beat the cancer odds.
She even fondly recalls handling a city council hearing for a client a day after being released from the hospital following cancer surgery.
“I was wheeled in there and didn’t miss a beat,” Allen noted, although she said the experience gave her flashbacks to the 1989 black comedy “Weekend at Bernie’s” when a couple of corporate underlings prop up their deceased boss who was scheduled to host a posh party at his beach house in the Hamptons.
“I’m a science project,” she said with wry smile.
Fortunately for Allen, she has lived to tell about her brushes with death and feels that they have given her a fresh perspective on life’s priorities.
“Once you’re confronted with serious health situations, you realize there is so much more to life than work,” she said.
The admission runs counter to the grueling 12-hour work days that Allen regularly puts in as a partner at Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop, PLLC, the Bloomfield Hills law firm that marked its 30th anniversary in 2025.
She views her work schedule as the ultimate “labor of love,” relishing the daily opportunity to help a wide range of clients deal with “all facets of liquor licensing,” including business formation, lease and land purchase negotiations, license acquisition and transfers, and violations before the MLCC.
“I can’t see myself ever retiring since I love the work so much,” Allen admitted. “I might want to go at a different pace, but I get a real sense of enjoyment in helping our clients with their legal needs.”
One of her most challenging legal assignments involved coordinating all of the liquor licensing requirements for the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, a three-day late April extravaganza that attracted nearly 800,000 people to the downtown over the course of the event.
“It was a huge undertaking, making sure that organizers complied with all of the liquor law regulations,” Allen indicated. “There were so many moving parts, coupled with the fact that Detroit shattered all attendance records for the NFL Draft. In all respects, it turned out to be a great success and we were glad to play a part in it.”
A past president of the Oakland County Bar Association, Allen has served as a mentor to many young lawyers in the legal community, including her associate Jessica Hallmark, who joined Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop in 2017.
“Kelly Allen is a wonderful mentor, colleague and friend, and a true force in the legal and hospitality community,” said Hallmark, a University of Michigan alumna. “As a relatively new lawyer, she ventured into the area of liquor licensing law so she could help her brothers purchase their first bar. Through charm, grit, hard work and determination, she was able to turn that early experience into a successful specialty law practice. Today, she is one of the foremost experts on liquor licensing law in the State of Michigan, having literally written the book on the subject and represented clients across the State of Michigan.
“Beyond being a Michigan liquor law expert, Kelly is an expert on building relationships,” noted Hallmark, who earned her law degree from Wayne State University. “Her exuberance is infectious, and she is always fun to be with. But beyond that, she has a unique talent for making people feel special and appreciated. That’s because she genuinely cares about others and goes out of her way to show it. At the same time, she is tough as nails. I have seen her take some hard knocks in life, but she is never down for long, and she always responds with firm resolve and good humor. I am grateful for the support she has given me, both personally and professionally, and I’m fortunate to call her my friend.”
Allen is the mother of two sons, Nicholas and Chris, both alums of Michigan State University.
“They are my pride and joy,” said Allen, who relished being an “active parent” during their formative years, helping produce school talent shows, serving as a “room mom,” and attending countless baseball and basketball games.
Nicholas, a product of Notre Dame Prep, is an airfield civil engineer in Denver. Chris, also a graduate of Notre Dame Prep, followed his mother into the law after graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2023.
“I’m blessed that Chris (Tower) works for us and is doing a great job in handling liquor licensing matters,” Allen indicated. “I was very surprised when he told me that he wanted to go to law school, but he has been a great addition to our team here.”
Allen’s late parents, Chandra and Jack, were “powerful forces” in her life.
“My dad was the general manager of WDIV-TV in Detroit for years, while my mom was simply an amazing person in every way possible,” Allen declared. “They were both only children, but they went on to have 10 children and 26 grandchildren. They were really remarkable people.”
Of her nine siblings, two brothers are also attorneys. Joe Allen is a former federal prosecutor who also has held high-level roles with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and other federal agencies. Brother Peter Allen is general counsel for a large shipping company in New York.
Her brothers – Jim, Michael, Tom, and Dan – have been in the restaurant business in Michigan and Chicago. Her two other brothers, David and Tim, have followed in the broadcasting footsteps of their father.
Allen’s sister, Elaine, serves as the other “bookend” for all those brothers. She is a human resources director in the city of Westport, Conn.
As the most senior sibling in her family, Allen said she feels an inherent responsibility in keeping everyone tightly knit together.
“I’ve always been the ringleader in the family,” she said proudly. “Over the years, I’ve made a habit of making dinner for 30 on two hours notice. It’s another one of my labors of love.”
In a favorite family photo, Kelly Allen is flanked by her two sons, Chris (left) and Nicholas.
For the past 15 years, Kelly Allen has spent her Thanksgiving Day mornings walking along Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, spreading holiday joy to parade-goers as a member of the Distinguished Clown Corps, a group of more than 200 business and community leaders.
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