Attorney-at-Law Reginald Kelly (E-Mail) graduated cum laude in his class from Campbell University School of Law. While in law school, he was Articles Editor of the Campbell Law Review; received Am Jur Book Awards for Real Property II, Advanced Criminal Procedure, and Trial Advocacy; was Marshall in the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International; was a member of the National Moot Court team; was Student Bar Association Legislative Council Representative; and was Treasurer of Toastmasters International.

He received his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University in 1976 magna cum laude. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, North Carolina Bar Association, Harnett County Bar Association, and North Carolina Advocates for Justice. He is also a Mason, a Shriner, Past President of the Boone Trail Ruritan Club, and a member of Antioch Baptist Church in Mamers, NC. He is married to Sheryl Kelly and has two children, Chase and Rebecca.

Contact Reggie for help with DWI, traffic offenses, and real estate law.

Thomas West is proud to have practiced law for more than 30 years, first with his law partner, Reggie Kelly, and then with his daughter Elizabeth West Murphy. Thomas’s passion and life’s work have been to have a law practice he is proud of. In 2020 he retired from the practice he built and now serves “of counsel” to the firm.

“For 30-plus years, I have strived not just to be a lawyer but to be an honest lawyer people can depend on. I work every day to make sure that my clients get the same representation that I would want if I had someone else representing me. Here at Kelly & West, it has always been our motto that we will try our best to help you. But, if we cannot help you, will try to find someone who can, and I firmly believe that we have succeeded through the years in doing just that. That’s why so many people come back to see us over and over again.”

Thomas was a 2016 recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell client distinction award. He was also recognized as a 2020 Attorney of the Year by Top 100 Registry.

He believes that he is different from other lawyers because this has been his life passion.

“It’s not just a job; it’s about faith – faith that God will give you the ability to help, faith that God will provide you with the patience and wisdom needed, faith that God will send the next client to see you. Yes, I work hard, and that’s important but working knowing my work is divinely inspired, that’s what keeps me going day in and day out.”

Also, Thomas says that one thing he is proud of is the technology the firm uses. Kelly & West proudly offers their clients the latest technology that helps manage cases and keeps each case progressing forward as quickly as

possible, and Thomas is the one behind it all.

“I love the fact that we have software that allows us not to miss opportunities to help each client the best we can. Over the years, I have handled thousands of cases, and now with technology, I can put my experience to work for each client so that we don’t miss any coverages or additional insurance policies that may be out there. Plus, technology gives us the ability to track when we receive documents and phone calls on each case, to make sure that we are aware of everything that’s going on with a particular client at all times.”

Thomas is proud that he and his loving wife, Betsy Coats West of Dunn, have been married for over 40 years. They attend Divine Street United Methodist Church in Dunn. They have two children, Elizabeth Murphy, and James West, who practices law in Los Angeles, California. He hopes to continue to serve those throughout North Carolina and especially in his local community for many years to come.

To speak with an honest and caring attorney…please contact Kelly & West at (919) 901-3125.

Elizabeth has been in practice for over 17 years, first practicing alongside her father and
founding partner, J. Thomas West, for nearly 15 years before his retirement in 2020. She is
now the managing partner of the firm and focuses her practice on personal injury law
primarily. She feels that her knowledge of the law started very early when she watched
her father in action, even before she became a lawyer.

Elizabeth has been practicing personal injury law for most of her career and enjoys the
practice. She says it gives her the ability to fight for people who are injured when they
can’t stand up for themselves at a time in their lives when they really need someone to
help them.

Elizabeth values each client and tries to really help each one at an individual level, paying
attention to the details of each case. Her years of experience and working with her father
have taught her how to document a case to get the highest value possible. She knows
most of her clients are trying to recover what they lost, due to no fault of their own, and
she tries to do as much as she can to help each one to do just that. She says some lawyers
miss the opportunity to really help because they are too busy and overlook important
aspects of each case that can really make a difference.

“It’s like the starfish story. An older man was walking along the shore after a storm had
washed up many starfish and he was bending and picking up the starfish and throwing
them back into the ocean. He was approached by a young man who said, ‘Sir, why are you
throwing the starfish back into the ocean?’ To which the older man replied, “Because the
sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don’t throw them back, they will die.’ To that,
the young man says, ‘But, old man, don’t you know there are miles and miles of beach, and
you can’t possibly save them all. In fact, if you work all day, you will not even save one-
tenth of them.’ The old man listened calmly and then stooped to pick up another starfish
and threw it back into the ocean. He said, ‘It made a difference to that one.’

I love that story, and I think it paints the perfect picture of what it is that we here at Kelly
& West and that I, as a lawyer, try to do every day. We can’t possibly solve all the world’s
problems, but we can stop and help each client, one at a time, find the best solution for
their situation. We find often clients want real solutions, not litigation, and are so happy
when we are able to offer a solution that maybe they haven’t thought of yet.”

Elizabeth is thankful for her husband and high school sweetheart of over 20 years,
Jonathan Murphy, also of Dunn. They attend Divine Street United Methodist Church in
Dunn, and together they have two children, Will and Addison.

To speak with a compassionate and seasoned attorney, please call Elizabeth at 910-893-
8183. She looks forward to talking with you.