For the past 15 years, attorney Kelly Allen has spent her Thanksgiving Day mornings spreading holiday joy to parade-goers in Detroit as a member of the Distinguished Clown Corps, a group of more than 200 business and community leaders.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then 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 coincidentally purchasing their first bar and restaurant, a business they named 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 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.
She originally was interested in entertainment law. But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, where she found traction despite health challenges, including lupus.
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.”
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.
Legal News
If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then 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 coincidentally purchasing their first bar and restaurant, a business they named 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 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.
She originally was interested in entertainment law. But her legal plans took an unexpected turn into family law and liquor law, where she found traction despite health challenges, including lupus.
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.”
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.
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