Episode 86

Kellam T. Parks | Co-Founder and Managing Member | Parks Zeigler, PLLC

Kellam comes from a long line of Tidewater natives. His paternal grandfather’s family grew up on the Eastern Shore and Kellam’s grandfather, after whom he is named, moved to Norfolk as a young adult. Kellam’s paternal grandmother grew up in Norfolk. Both his parents grew up on the Southside and Kellam was raised in Virginia Beach.

Education
After graduating from the first full class at Salem High School in Virginia Beach in 1992, Kellam attended a small liberal arts college, St. Andrews University in North Carolina, where he fell in love with learning. Kellam graduated summa cum laude with a philosophy degree with honors in 1996, and a triple minor of politics, psychology, and law.

After working three jobs the summer after college to save up money, Kellam began law school at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. Kellam chose W&M due to its strong academic history and his desire to settle back in Tidewater once he graduated in 1999.

The Start of Kellam T. Parks’ Career as a Virginia Beach Lawyer
Kellam began his legal career with a mid-sized firm doing primarily insurance defense work and moved through a number of local firms seeking the right fit of practice areas, camaraderie, and compensation. After a little over six years at his last firm he did just that – founded the Law Office of Kellam T. Parks, PLLC in January 2012.

What Makes Parks Zeigler, PLLC Different
One of the motivating factors of forming his own firm was to integrate modern technologies into his practice, which was hard to do in a larger firm environment. Kellam created the law firm to be paperless with cloud-based systems to enable immediate and remote access for himself and his clients. This has served the firm well as it transitioned over time to Parks Zeigler, PLLC.

The attorneys and staff are able to utilize digital technologies for all aspects of the practice of law, from legal research to trial presentation. The law firm was an early adopter of Generative AI for additional efficiencies, allowing increased productivity to better serve its clients. Kellam’s focus on technology keeps him up to date on the latest issues involving cybersecurity and data privacy, allowing him to better serve clients in this area of his practice.

Kellam’s Commitment to Building a Modern Firm
Kellam has always been very active in legal-related organizations. He taught at Tidewater Community College for a number of years early in his career. He is active in local Bar Associations, such as the Virginia Beach Bar Association and the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association, where he served as President from 2023-2024 and participates as a mentor in its mentorship program. Kellam is also a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, sitting on the Board for the Family Law Section.

He is very active with the Virginia State Bar, formerly serving as the chair of the Special Committee on Technology and the Future Practice of Law. Kellam has authored numerous articles in various legal publications and teaches legal education courses to lawyers and the public across Virginia, regionally, and nationally on his various practice areas, the use of technology in the practice of law, and law firm ownership.

Kellam earned the Marketer of the Year Award from Great Legal Marketing. It was a proud achievement for Kellam and the firm, as the award recognizes the innovative and creative strategies employed to attract new clients. Attorneys from all over the country (and even abroad) recognized the innovative and creative things that Parks Zeigler is doing to ensure its message is heard through their vote.

Taking his experience as an owner of a law firm, participation in numerous coaching groups, and relationships with other law firm owners, Kellam founded The MOTIVATEd Lawyer, LLC in 2024; a coaching business for lawyers and law firm owners on the business of running a law firm.

More About Kellam T. Parks
Away from the office, Kellam spends as much time with his family as he can.  He met his beautiful wife Kelly in August of 2002 and they were married a little less than two years later, celebrating their 20th anniversary in July 2024. Kellam and Kelly raised their daughter Avery, who has been a dedicated ballet and contemporary dancer since age three, and Avery continued that passion as a dance major at Old Dominion University. Avery graduated early in December 2019 to launch a local dance studio, Studio 17 Dance.

Kellam (obviously) enjoys exploring and tinkering with various forms of technology. He also enjoys working out, reading, and listening to almost all genres of music (however often laments his almost total lack of musical ability). He is a Star Wars superfan and enjoys all things SW-related. Having had the good fortune to travel during college (spending a month abroad studying in Switzerland and getting a whirlwind tour of Europe including Italy, Albania, France, Amsterdam, Germany, and Luxembourg) and law school (taking summer classes in Madrid, Spain at the Colegio Mayor Universitario San Pablo), Kellam looks forward to traveling abroad again and sharing the experience with his wife and daughter in the coming years.

Education
• St. Andrews University
• William & Mary School of Law

Honors and Recognition
• Avvo 10.0
• Best Lawyers
• Lead Counsel Verified
• Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine
• Martindale-Hubbell AV
• Super Lawyers by Superlawyers.com, part of Thomson Reuters
• Top Lawyers by Coastal Virginia Magazine
• 2019 Great Legal Marketing Marketer of the Year
• Faculty member & author for Virginia CLE
• Author for Lawline CLE
• Go To Attorney for Cybersecurity – Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Memberships
• Norfolk Portsmouth Bar Association
• Virginia Beach Bar Association
• Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
• Virginia State Bar

Practice Areas
• Cybersecurity/Data Privacy
• Family Law
• Business & Civil Litigation