Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Reuters and Jesus Huerta
From the outside, Kelly DuFord Williams had it all: high-end cars, designer clothing, a flourishing private practice, and recognition as one of the best business attorneys in southern California.
After a brief stint as a Las Vegas deputy district attorney—and a contentious divorce—Williams told anyone who listened that she opened up her own law firm to focus on employee development and justice for her clients. Within a few years, the 36-year-old raven-haired mother-of-three had about a dozen employees at Slate Law Group, a 10,000-square-foot office in downtown San Diego, and frequently appeared on local TV.
She was named one of San Diego Business Journal’s 40 Next Top Business Leaders Under Forty and a Woman of Influence—and was among San Diego Magazine’s 2021 Women of the Year Rising Stars. In a July 2021 Entreprenista interview, Williams defined her work ethic through two Beyoncé songs.
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