Kelly Anderson

Kelly Anderson focuses her practice on national security, the defense industry, trade policy, and supply chain matters. She counsels clients on issues arising under US and international law, particularly problems that cross borders or impact the defense industry or defense industrial base. 

Kelly has supported investigations into the handling of CUI and export-controlled data, complex supply chain investigations, defense industrial base-related trade policy advocacy, and complex procurement and law of war questions. She additionally has extensive experience drafting tariff-related engagements for clients advocating before the US Trade Representative, the US Department of Commerce, and other agencies. 

Prior to joining Steptoe, Kelly spent five years on active duty with the US Navy, advising on daily regulatory compliance, investigations, and incident responses for US Armed Forces around the globe, including responses to information breaches and compliance with CUI, FOIA, PII, and other information requirements.

Kelly also served as the sole US counsel located in British Indian Ocean Territory, in which capacity she engaged directly with foreign counsel on various treaty and policy-related matters, and advised US Armed Forces on treaty interpretation and authorities' limitations. Her Navy experience additionally included serving as the Emergency Management Officer (EMO) for Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia. As the EMO, Kelly was responsible for running the base’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during crisis response, and leading the installation’s efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. This experience gives her a unique insight into the practical challenges faced by clients managing crisis and disaster response, as well as best practices used to capture and implement post-incident lessons learned into daily operations. After leaving active duty, Kelly clerked for judges on both the US Court of International Trade and the US Court of Federal Claims, where she worked on a range of trade and government procurement matters.

Kelly continues to serve in the US Navy Reserves. Prior to joining the JAGC, her law school experience included a year at Notre Dame’s London campus, an internship in the Office of the Rt. Hon. George Osborne CH MP, and a judicial externship in the Chambers of the Hon. Jon E. DeGuilio at the US Northern District of Indiana.