via
Getty)
We
have
some
unfortunate
news
to
report
out
of
the
Washington,
D.C.
legal
community,
where
an
appellate
attorney
at
King
&
Spalding
recently
passed
away.
Kellam
Conover,
44,
was
based
out
of
the
firm’s
Washington,
D.C.,
office,
where
he
worked
as
of
counsel
before
he
died.
The
Stanford
Law
graduate
was
on
the
trip
of
a
lifetime
to
New
Zealand,
where
he
aimed
to
climb
the
region’s
highest
mountain.
According
to
Climbing
Magazine,
Conover
and
his
guide,
Thomas
Vialletet,
were
roped
together
when
they
fell
to
their
deaths.
It
is
unclear
what
caused
the
fall.
Mark
Jensen,
managing
partner
of
King
&
Spalding’s
Washington,
D.C.,
office,
expressed
his
grief
in
an
email
to
the
American
Lawyer,
saying
the
firm
was
“deeply
saddened
by
the
loss
of
Kellam
Conover.”
Here
are
some
additional
details
from
his
message:
“Kellam
made
his
mark
here
as
a
gifted
lawyer,
respected
colleague,
and
wonderful
friend
with
a
bright
future,”
Jensen
said.“He
will
be
sorely
missed,”
he
said.
“We
send
our
condolences
to
Kellam’s
family
and
friends
on
their
unfathomable
loss.”
We
here
at
Above
the
Law
would
like
to
extend
our
condolences
to
Kellam
Conover’s
family,
friends,
and
colleagues
during
this
difficult
time.
King
&
Spalding
Appellate
Attorney
Dies
While
Climbing
New
Zealand’s
Tallest
Mountain
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
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on LinkedIn.