By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, consider 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 purchasing their first bar and restaurant, the “Landshark” in 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 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 has served Allen well over the course of a 40-plus-year career where she has gained a reputation as one of the foremost liquor-law experts in Michigan.
Allen initially wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment law field. But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, two seemingly divergent fields where she found traction despite 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. “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.”
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 they have given her 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 Allen regularly puts in as a partner at Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop, PLLC in Bloomfield Hills.
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.”
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, consider 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 purchasing their first bar and restaurant, the “Landshark” in 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 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 has served Allen well over the course of a 40-plus-year career where she has gained a reputation as one of the foremost liquor-law experts in Michigan.
Allen initially wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment law field. But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, two seemingly divergent fields where she found traction despite 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. “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.”
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 they have given her 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 Allen regularly puts in as a partner at Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop, PLLC in Bloomfield Hills.
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.”
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