Our Team

I'm passionate about helping kind, hardworking employees heal from the trauma of a toxic and abusive workplace. (It changes your body and mind--I know from my own personal experience.)  

During the recession, I worked in sales: all day,  I cold-called companies to sell software products.  There's a silver-lining to everything, and I learned to love the power of negotiation, of connecting with people's pain points and solving problems. 

I loved studying English Literature as an undergraduate at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. But I focused on creative writing because I love storytelling: give me a good myth or fairytale any time!  I earned my first $10 selling a poem when I was in college, and it gave me hope that I could use my creative skills someday in my work.

In law school at Washington University in St. Louis, I co-designed and co-taught a class on gender and the law for brilliant Washington University undergrads.  Teaching turned into another life-committment for me.  I also represented violence survivors in a clinic, and working on a team, drafted the ABA's guidelines for legal practitioners working with incarcerated violence survivors.  (An experience I had firsthand.) 

I love natural wine (ask me about it!), cooking for dinner parties with my friends, and being a political junkie and an activist for causes I care about--like getting big corporations and lobbyist money out of our political system.  I speak some French, some Spanish, some Hindi/Urdu and lots of English. 

Your employment story and your success are in my heart.

I hope to meet you and understand  your goals, and ultimately help you stand up to your employer and achieve your career dreams.  I am so happy and grateful to work with the love of my life (E.E.), and a great team (including you!) to describe your story and ensure that you obtain the best and most fulfilling result for you.  We are on this journey together--you will never be alone.

Contact Sonal at sonal@keenanfirm.com

When I was growing up, I remember seeing relatives and friends constantly out of work or, when lucky enough to have work, getting treated like dirt.  I could see on their faces how much it hurt not to have a job and provide for their families, and the pain and confusion of having a boss who acted like you never do anything right when you're working hard.  I realized that what unites all people is the need for meaningful and dignifying work.  I decided to become a lawyer, and to get involved with the labor movement.  

After college and law school at Harvard, I clerked for a fabulous federal judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.  My time with Judge Benton gave me an inside view of the court system.  Afterwards, I went into law practice to help folks like the family and friends I remember from when I was a kid.  I want to help people turn that sadness and confusion into hope and joy.  

Sonal and I were in love and had nothing to lose, and had just gotten engaged.  Start a law firm...why not?!  That's the power of love.  I'm a law nerd, but that's not the most important thing.  One of the many things Sonal and I share is a love of storytelling.  We tell each other stories all the time, and come up with them together.  

I enjoy reading good books (especially Joyce) and writing poetry.  I'm a runner and am very interested in politics (I have good friends across the spectrum and love hearing a diversity of viewpoints).  In my spare time, I'm trying to learn French and Hindi.  

I'm looking forward to hearing your story and sharing mine with you!

Contact E.E. at ee@keenanfirm.com

As a first-generation college graduate, I am aware of the struggles accompanying working for a living and earning a paycheck.  My parents were both hard-working blue-collar workers who often struggled to make ends meet.  I know what it’s like to see people struggle with issues in the workplace.  I decided to dedicate my law practice to help people like my parents.  I look forward to putting the hard work ethic instilled in me by my parents to work for you. 

At Washington University, I earned a degree in History and graduated magna cum laude.  I also wrote a senior honor’s thesis on the Scottish Enlightenment.  My time studying at Washington University instilled in me a lifelong appreciation of the liberal arts and reading.  Some of my many favorite authors include Richard Hofstadter, Thomas Mann, Hans Fallada, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

I earned my law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.  At SLU, I was a staff member and editor on the Saint Louis University Law Journal and worked as a research assistant for two professors.  My time at SLU taught me to think like a lawyer and pursue a career-path working on behalf of employees. 

Prior to joining Keenan & Bhatia, I spent nearly 10 years at a sophisticated boutique labor and employment law firm located in St. Louis, Missouri.  At this law firm, I had the unique opportunity to work on a variety of labor and employment matters, including individual and collective actions for unpaid wages brought under a federal law known as the Fair Labor Standards Act.  I also worked on other complex matters involving items as diverse as federal securities law and franchise law.  Whatever the legal issue, I enjoyed hearing my client’s story and working hard on their behalf to achieve resolution of the matter at hand.   

I have a passion for helping workers facing tough and often brutal situations in the workplace.  I look forward to working with you to tackle your issues and aggressively advocate on your behalf.  

Contact Mark at mark@keenanfirm.com

I am the oldest of five siblings, so I learned to care for and protect others early on. I have always had a passion for helping people in their times of need and listening to their stories. After working in a nursing home and volunteering with hospice patients during college, I realized that it wasn’t enough for me to just hear the stories of heartache and tragedy that people went through during their lifetimes: I wanted to be someone who could help people through their difficult journeys.

I spent the next four and a half years working for a sole practitioner, doing bankruptcy and divorce work, before moving to Kansas City and pursuing my paralegal degree. During my time at school, I expanded my knowledge in different legal areas, trying to figure out what my next move might be. Growing up a child of divorce, I was burnt out from custody fights and property separation day in and day out, and knew I was ready for a change. Following graduation, I took the leap into plaintiff’s employment work and absolutely fell in love.

I love putting up a good fight for hardworking and caring individuals, especially those who have fallen victim to corporations or abusive bosses. During the 2020 Kansas legislative session, I assisted in drafting and testified for a House Bill to expand the Protection from Abuse Statute for survivors of domestic violence (HB 2675). http://kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/hb2675/

In my spare time, I love to work out and practice yoga, read, watch documentaries, spend time with my dog (Mya), explore the local gems of Kansas City with my friends, and volunteer with the Johnson County Youth Court program.  I hope to continue to work to change laws that advantage the powerful and abusive, and to remain politically involved.

I look forward to listening to your story and understanding how I can stand with you during a difficult time, and team up with you to stand up for what is right. 

I grew up watching my first-generation immigrant parents work as hard as they could, day in and day out, to provide for my family. Watching them and later taking on the mantle of responsibility myself instilled in me a love and appreciation for those who work tirelessly to make ends meet. I want to go to law school to help people like them and make sure they have the working environment they deserve. 

As a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I study biology to hone my skills in focusing on small details. I wanted to understand the world from a focused and micro perspective, and then reach outwards to look at the big picture.  Our lives are constantly affected by the world around us, and I want to understand all the factors that go into our way of life and thinking.  I also study psychology because it goes hand in hand with working with people and understanding what makes us human. 

I balance my time during the school year between working as a campus tour guide, showing off my passion for education, telling my story, and managing a social psychology research laboratory that studies policies, violence, and the influence of established systems on people. I’m currently conducting my own research on how law and policies have become more racially focused and how that affects people who need protection. I spend my free time advocating for better health resources on campus and have worked to create a school-distributed guide for students navigating their mental, physical, and emotional health while attending college. Prior to working at Keenan & Bhatia, I worked at a personal injury law firm, listening to often severely injured clients’ stories, and working to help them rebuild.

As a college student struggling to maintain a habit of reading for fun and as an avid player of Dungeons & Dragons, I can attest to the importance of a great story. Not only reading the stories of others, but creating your own. Storytelling lets us relate to each other on the most basic level:  it’s practically encoded in our DNA. 

I’m excited to work with you to bring your story to life and your long-term goals to fruition.