Mr. Patrick Kernan has over 25 years of experience as an executive, complex commercial and government contracting attorney.  Pat left public service to build a legal practice in the private sector.  Since that time, he has been working with businesses throughout the country on federal government contract matters.

Pat’s public service spanned from the United States Army JAG Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. While at these institutions, Mr. Kernan 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.  Mr. Kernan served two tours of duty in Iraq.  Both deployments made Pat appreciate the “can do” attitude of American contractors, who found opportunities in difficult circumstances and made the government more efficient

For his service, Pat was awarded the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal (with a service star), the War on Terrorism Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

Pat held a variety of leadership posts in the JAG Corps and 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. He also earned the respect of the men and women he represented. The same way we earn the respect of our clients, by climbing into the trenches with them, or more appropriately in Pat’s case—jumping out of airplanes.

At DHS, Pat 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 Homeland Security, he also deployed to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 

He is a graduate of Hamilton College (B.A., Economics) and Wake Forest University Law School. He received his L.L.M. in Military Law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. He is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, U.S District Court for the District of Massachusetts, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court.