Our Team

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

I spent the first 18 years of my life in Indiana. 

At Swarthmore College, I focused on creative writing and literature–storytelling.  I sold a creative piece for $10 my junior year.  Tearing open that envelope and holding that check, I realized I could use my creative skills to make a difference and earn a living. 

In law school at Washington University in St. Louis, I co-created/taught a course on gender and the law to undergrads.  I represented violence survivors in a clinic, and helped draft the ABA’s guidelines for lawyers working with violence survivors.

During the recession, I worked in sales: all day,  I cold-called and met with companies to sell software products.   I learned how to use focused conversations to uncover pain points, and use the sales process to solve these problems.  That’s what I do every day in this work–and I love it.

I’m passionate about natural wine (ask me about it!), cooking for dinner for my friends, writing fiction, travel, and working to end corruption in our political system.  I am Vice-President of the National Employment Lawyers Association of Kansas City–a great legal community. I speak French, Spanish,  Hindi/Urdu.  None as well as I’d like.  And yes, I love donkeys (and all animals except birds and rodents).  Donkeys are kind, resilient, loving, loyal creatures.  Everyone should befriend a donkey.  Try it.

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’m passionate about negotiation and trial, and I have worked with people from union laborers and lab techs to nurses, doctors, lawyers, and CEOs to negotiate high-value severances. And if the corporation refuses to deal, to take your case all the way.  I am so happy and grateful to work with the love of my life (E.E.), and a great team (including you!) to tell 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

I come from a long line of hard workers.  I grew up on Air Force bases across the Midwest, the South, and overseas in Iceland and Germany.  My dad worked his way up the ranks of the U.S. Military and taught himself as he went.  He did it without a wealthy family or a formal education.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom who raised me and my five siblings.  She was an amazing chef, and I have many fond memories of her milling her own wheat and baking loaves of bread from scratch.  My grandparents worked in oil fields in southern Illinois, in the snow and rain for the U.S. Post Office, in various blue-collar jobs, and for big insurance companies.

When I was fifteen, I wanted to buy my own car, but there wasn’t any money for it.  Because I’d been taught the value of hard work, I rolled up my sleeves one summer and got to work.  I sold homemade beef jerky to the men and women who worked on the Whiteman Air Force Base flight line.  By the end of the summer I’d saved enough money to buy my first car.  A 1993 Dodge Shadow!  It wasn’t the prettiest car around, but I was proud of my hard work.  I took that same work ethic and put myself through college at the University of Central Missouri, and later at the University of Missouri School of Law.  I then spent the next seven years practicing with some of Missouri’s biggest law firms.

The hard work I was taught and learned, paid off for me.  But I’ve also seen so many times where hard work just isn’t enough for bosses and companies.  Even when you put in the long hours, give up nights and weekends, or sacrifice holidays with family.  One day you’re abruptly told you’ve been “let go.”  You’re told your hard work isn’t good enough.  Maybe your boss says you don’t deserve the promotion you worked so hard for.  Or maybe you’re made to feel like it’s your fault.  Deep-down you have a feeling it could really be about something else. 

This type of treatment is why I went to law school and why I love being a lawyer.  It’s the type of treatment our legal system can step in to help you with.  The environment of your job and the decisions your employer makes about you are very important.  If it’s really about the color of your skin, your gender, your age, your disability, or any other protected area, it’s not just wrong.  It’s illegal.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee (one of my favorite authors) wrote some famous words.  “You never really understand a person until you consider things from [their] point of view.”   That line has stuck with me since I first read it back in grade school.  I’ve always wanted to understand other people’s points of view.  I love fighting for my hard-working clients who are “let go,” who are harassed at work, or who are passed over for the job they deserve.  It’s amazing when the law can bring healing to the trauma that a toxic workplace inflicts.

When I’m not busy fighting for my clients in and out of the courtroom, you can find me reading a good book, gardening in the backyard of my Strawberry Hill home, driving my truck through the deserts of the Southwest, or writing poetry snuggled up with my two pugs: Porter & Petunia.  

I look forward to listening to you and figuring out how we can bring justice to what you’ve been through, together.

Contact JR at

jr@keenanfirm.com 

I’ve been passionate about social justice from a very young age. I’m a third generation native New Yorker. My father owned a restaurant; my mother was a gardener and active member of her labor union. I remember nights when she would return home from union meetings and tell me about them before I went to bed. I had a progressive education with a strong emphasis on the history of the civil rights movement starting in elementary school. When I was old enough to hear about it, I recall my grandmother telling me that she’d had to leave her first job because of her boss’ constant unwelcome sexual advances. There was no legal recourse for her in those days – if she didn’t like it, she could quit. So she did.

I got my bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and majored in Theatre Arts. For several years after college, I waited tables, bartended and pondered what to do with my life. While I had wanted to be an actor, I soon realized I needed to do something meaningful on a day to day basis, not spend my life auditioning for a chance to perform. After much drifting and self-doubt, I took the LSAT, applied to Brooklyn Law School, and got in. While there, I studied employment law and interned for a plaintiff-side employment lawyer. Before long, I knew I had found the focus of my career. It's a different world than the one my grandma came up in; workers have all kinds of legal remedies at their disposal and I'm thrilled to help them vindicate their rights in court.

For over 10 years, I’ve represented plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases, with a special emphasis on race and sex discrimination cases. I’m particularly interested in advancing intersectional workplace justice for women of color, who may experience a toxic blend of racism and misogyny in any field, at any paygrade.

These days, I live in New Jersey (or as I call it, “the country”) with my wife and our three kids. When I’m not working or spending time with them, I can often be found reading/watching something about history, tending to a large menagerie of indoor plants or gardening.

I look forward to meeting you, hearing your story and standing with you in solidarity.

Contact Chloe at chloe@keenanfirm.com

I grew up in the woods in the Southwest Missouri Ozarks. My parents were public school teachers. They cared most about influencing the world of each child for the better. I have benefitted from their well-intended belief that they could make a small, but positive change in the world – a step hopefully in the direction of progress.  That’s part of why I became a lawyer. I wanted to help folks too  – particularly those who are up against the odds through no fault of their own. 

After growing up in rural Missouri, I attended Missouri State University (BA) in Springfield, Missouri.  Prior to pursuing a legal education, I worked as a news reporter for two small weekly newspapers. I went to law school at the University of Missouri - Columbia. After graduating from law school, I clerked for Judge Cynthia Martin at the Missouri Court of Appeals - Western District. 

After my clerkship, I returned to a small town in Southwest Missouri where I worked for three years before joining Keenan & Bhatia. It’s a privilege, of which many I have enjoyed in life, to have the opportunity to help you. 

Contact Aaron at aaron@keenanfirm.com 

I grew up in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee where I developed my love for potato salad and the outdoors. As the only boy with four sisters, it was against my siblings that I learned how to craft an argument and defend it. At Keenan & Bhatia, I’ve rediscovered my childhood, argumentative spirit and applied it to a new passion: plaintiff-side advocacy. While at K&B, it has been my pleasure to work with clients—from whistleblowers to victims of discrimination—to craft their experiences into stories. And with my bright and creative colleagues, we defend those stories against prejudice and corporate greed. Each day, I look forward to learning from and connecting with our clients.

In between Tennessee and Keenan & Bhatia, I studied at Yale University where I majored in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Critical Refugee Studies. My thesis connected sexualized violence during the Vietnam War, interracial relationships, and the international adoption industry. Outside of work, you can find me birding, biking, and reading.

Contact Elijah at elijah@keenanfirm.com

 I come from creative and hardworking parents who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. Growing up in Upper Darby, PA, I was fortunate to learn about diverse cultures, traditions, and stories that enriched my perspective. I take pride in my family and community, which instilled in me a deep sense of compassion, integrity, and—most importantly—joy.

After high school, I attended Swarthmore College, where I created a special major in Africana Literature. My studies focused on researching and understanding a multitude of literatures across the African Diaspora. During my time at Swarthmore, I developed a passion for uncovering overlooked and untold stories, fostering a radical empathy that I carry with me to this day.

As a Litigation Analyst at Keenan & Bhatia, I bring those stories to life, assisting the firm in advocating for our clients with dedication and care.

In my free time, I enjoy reading (with favorites like Akwaeke Emezi, Rivers Solomon, and Octavia Butler), going to the cinema, ceramics, traveling, singing, cooking with my mom, and cherishing moments with my community. I believe life is best experienced through creative outlets and meaningful connections with loved ones.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I look forward to hearing yours and finding ways to uplift and support you.

Contact Jasmine at 

jasmine@keenanfirm.com

I'm one of the litigation analysts at Keenan & Bhatia, so I get to work really closely with the details of our cases, and, more importantly, with people like you. There's no better way to understand someone's story than to talk to them, so you can expect plenty of conversations with me and the nother litigation analysts. 

I grew up in Charlotte, NC, just an hour and a half from where my mom grew up. I'd give you the name of the town, but we just call it "out in the country." I got to spend weekends making mud pies of Carolina clay and hearing my grandma's stories of working as a seamstress and on construction sites with my grandpa. My mom spends a lot of her time working to conserve this land in the North Carolina piedmont.

My dad also grew up in a small town with hard working parents, but he was in "the real south" of South Africa. His dad was a surgeon who loved his job so much that he couldn't put down the scalpel until he was 85. My dad picked up this ethic; he studied hard and worked harder until he had truly made it in America.

I recently graduated from Swarthmore College where I double majored in philosophy and math. I spent a lot of my time studying ethics and thinking about justice, so I am really motivated to fight for people who faced discrimination in their workplace. 

When I'm not at work, you can find me talking on the phone with friends and family, working out, or in a coffee shop reading. 

Contact Stella at 

stella@keenanfirm.com

I’m probably one of the first people you’ll meet and talk with at the firm because I help manage intake at Keenan & Bhatia–meaning I learn your story and I am your advocate to the lawyers and decisionmakers at the firm.  I was raised in Gladstone, Missouri by  two hard-working immigrant parents who taught me the value of everyone’s jobs from top to bottom. My father told me stories of his mistreatment as a foreigner trying to make it in America, so I’ve developed a passion for advocating for people who have been excluded or targeted in any discriminatory way. I believe we all deserve to work in positions where we are appreciated for our efforts, treated fairly, seen as humans with lives outside of our employment, and can have a fair work-life balance. 

After receiving my Business - Marketing Degree from The University of Missouri-Kansas City, I’ve worked in a multitude of industries, ranging from jewelry sales to managing the marketing of local businesses in the Kansas City Metro area. I’ve found a home at Keenan & Bhatia because my team and I share a passion for fighting for all employees who have been mistreated or marginalized. 

In my free time, you can find me in one of my arrange of hobbies, including: photography, skateboarding, fitness, and martial arts. I believe the beauty in life is chasing anything and everything your soul finds passion in! You can also find me doing my most important work: being a father to my newborn daughter! 

Thanks for taking the time to learn about me, I look forward to learning your story!

Contact Donnie at donnie@keenanfirm.com 

As the Intake manager for Keenan & Bhatia, I will probably be the first point of contact for you! I am one of your first points of contact that will learn about you and your story, then will advocate for you to the lawyers and decision makers in the firm. 

I grew up and went to high school in Gardner Kansas, during that time I was on the school debate team for all 4 years and was a state qualifier my senior year. Growing up with a single mother raising 5 kids in the house taught me the value of hard work, but also taught me that everyone has problems and struggles. This has shaped the way that I view people and has taught me to empathize with everyone around me no matter what walk of life. Graduating high school I set out to search for the career that will allow me to help the most people.

I have been working in the legal field for over 2 years and have gained experience working in personal injury, as well as now working with employment law. I have tons of experience communicating with clients and helping to provide the best support possible in these times. 

Whenever I am not working, I am a father of 2 wonderful kids. I love hiking and experiencing nature, as well as traveling anytime I can. My other hobbies include video editing, fun projects on the side, analyzing and writing about media, this stems from my love of fiction stories in all types of media, from books, movies and video games. 

Contact Austin at 

austin@keenanfirm.com