LARRY KELLEM’S LEGACY

Steve and his father Lawrence Kellem founded Kellem & Kellem in Hull, Massachusetts, in 1984, and worked together through Larry’s retirement in 2012. What started as a small hometown practice evolved into one of the South Shore’s and then eastern Massachusetts’s busiest real estate practices.  A key moment in the firm evolution was when Jack Conway, an owner of several real estate brokerage offices in Eastern Massachusetts, decided to build an office in Hull where Steve and Larry were practicing.  “Jack needed a tenant for his new building” remembers Steve, “and heard my dad and I were the “go-to” in Hull.   Jack walked into the office and told us we were his new tenant.  Within a couple of years, we were representing buyers and sellers throughout the area, and were closing counsel for Northern Mortgage Company, which Jack owned.”

When describing the legacy of his dad and how it relates to the real estate practice, Steve explains, “My dad taught me about the importance of thoroughness as a fundamental principal of real estate law.  Each time property ownership changes hands, there are a multitude of details within the transfer that if not handled perfectly, can have devastating consequences.  My dad showed me examples of ownership issues that didn’t reveal themselves until many years later, when a property was sold. The real estate attorney must be an excellent technician. Reviewing and certifying title to real estate is often the equivalent of completing a difficult crossword puzzle.  One misplaced letter or word and the puzzle is not complete.  In real estate, the misplaced letter is the missing or defective signature, which can result in a problem with ownership.”

Larry A. Kellem, 1923 - 2023

THE KELLEM AND KELLEM DIFFERENCE

Since its 1984 founding by Steven Kellem and his father Larry, Kellem & Kellem has built a reputation as an industry leader in the representation of buyers and sellers of homes as well as the lenders that make home purchases possible. The firm has developed close relationships with realtors, mortgage lenders, and title insurers — relationships that are vital for getting often challenging transactions to the closing table. “There are certain lenders better suited for a particular transaction due to a client’s unique situation,” says Kellem & Kellem principal, Steve Kellem. “There are certain methods of resolving a title issue that one insurer is better at than others.  There are creative solutions to differences between parties that arise during negotiations. Experience is the best teacher of how to problem solve effectively.”

In 2007, Joyce Friedman joined the Kellems as a partner. “Joyce was a favorite of the broker community when she arrived,” says Steve, “my respect for her was high and has only grown since then.” In 2022, Joyce decided to retire and is thoroughly enjoying traveling the world, spending time with friends and spoiling her dog Smudge. Congratulations on an amazing career Joyce!

In January, 2014, Joyce and Steve added a third partner, Attorney Michael Brust, formerly of the real estate firm Stanton and Davis. Mike is the managing attorney at the Kellem & Kellem satellite office at 1000 Plain Street in Marshfield, Massachusetts.  Also in 2014 Attorney Andrew Firnrohr (“no one adds a sense of humor like Andy” comments Steve) joined the firm as a partner, followed by Attorney Mike Baird in 2015. Both Andy and Mike are well known and respected through the conveyancing community, and add new viewpoints and energy. 

The firm’s associate attorney, Marie Romans, was a paralegal with Kellem & Kellem for over ten years before she attended and graduated from law school. Marie’s practice includes both real estate conveyancing and commercial closings.