ENTERPRISING WOMEN
Jessica Karr and Tara Zeller PHOTOS BY STEVE RANDON WRITTEN BY JILL WILLIE
Legal Savvy with a Personal Touch THE MINUTE YOU WALK
into the 100-year old Covington cottage, you know it is not your ordinary law office. Founders Buddy and Annie Spell of the Spell & Spell Law Firm recognized the tumult that people go through when they are in need of legal services so they created an environment that immediately puts people at ease. From cozy chairs, an eclectic array of primitive art, warm rugs and a fireplace adorned with various knick-knacks, the attorneys work in an area more akin to a living room than a conference room. This year, the firm brought in two additions that enhance its mission to provide competent counsel in a comfortable environment—attorneys Tara Zeller and Jessica Karr. Their diverse experience and areas of focus
22 Sophisticated Woman | September 2015
not only increase the firm’s capabilities in the areas of criminal law and plaintiff litigation, but also allow expansion into all aspects of family law, including divorce, custody and adoption. Previously a staff attorney for two local judges, Tara has spent a majority of her career on the Northshore. Tara always had a lot of respect for Buddy, watching him defend his clients in the courtroom for over 11 years. She and her husband Ricky also developed a long-standing friendship with Buddy and Annie. Therefore, it was not a total surprise that when her family returned to the area last summer, Buddy immediately began talking to her about joining the practice. “I started helping with his criminal caseload in the fall. It just naturally morphed into a full time position over the following months. We formalized things in January, when I became an official member of the