PATRICK KERNAN

Senior Attorney

With over 25 years of experience, Patrick is an executive, complex commercial and government contracting attorney. As an Army Veteran, Patrick is passionate about representing and advocating for active service members, veterans, and other clients of the firm. By “climbing into the trenches” with his clients, Patrick’s ability to connect and understand their perspectives enables him and his team to create a strong working relationship. He appreciates and respects the “can do” attitude of American contractors, especially those who find opportunities in difficult circumstances and make the government more efficient. Patrick provides expert legal advice for businesses throughout the country on federal government contract matters, with a strong focus on Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB).

EXPERIENCE

In the Army, Patrick served two tours of duty in Iraq. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal (with a service star), the War on Terrorism Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

Prior to joining the public sector, Patrick worked for the United States Army JAG Corps, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During this time, he served in multiple leadership roles such as the Chief of Procurement and Fiscal Law for the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, where he managed a team of attorneys tasked with improving contracting practices on billions of dollars of contracts for all forces in Iraq. He was also the Staff Judge Advocate for the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Arabian Peninsula. In this position, he managed all attorneys and support staff providing legal support to Army Special Forces in the Arabian Peninsula.

Patrick held a variety of leadership posts in the JAG Corps and the Department of Justice. Most notably, he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the JAG Corps and Chief of Criminal law in the 82nd Airborne Division (1998-2000). Prior to joining the 82nd, Pat earned the Airborne Badge and Air Assault Badge.

At DHS, Patrick was Chief Counsel to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Transformation Program, leading a team providing legal advice on the full range of legal issues encountered by this billion-dollar business and information technology transformation program. During his time at DHS, he was deployed to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.