JP Kernisan is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and strategic advisor who represents Fortune 500 companies, professional sports franchises, universities, and executives in high-stakes litigation, government investigations, and corporate crises.
His clients span private equity and venture capital (as well as their portfolio companies), professional sports organizations, luxury goods companies, financial institutions, automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and major universities.
His practice focuses on solving clients’ most difficult legal issues. Kernisan routinely litigates significant disputes against federal and state authorities on behalf of corporations and individuals, in addition to representing companies and executives facing corporate crises involving difficult legal and regulatory challenges, with particular experience advising companies related to allegations of corruption, discrimination and harassment and/or executive misconduct.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management | 2026 | Government, Litigation, Investigations, Crisis |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers | 2026 | Litigation - Sports, Crisis, Investigations |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2026 | Litigation, Enforcement, Sports |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Government & Regulatory Litigation, White Collar, Commercial Litigation |
| The Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management | 2025 | Government, Litigation, Investigations, Crisis |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers | 2025 | Litigation - Sports, Crisis, Investigations |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2025 | Litigation, Enforcement, Sports |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2025 | Government & Regulatory Litigation, White Collar, Commercial Litigation |
Sports Litigation
Kernisan is one of the country's leading lawyers for sports litigation and investigations. He achieved an unprecedented victory for the University of Tennessee against NCAA enforcement actions, resulting in a federal injunction that fundamentally changed NCAA name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules nationwide. Kernisan represents NFL and NBA franchises, major university athletic departments, and sports executives in highly sensitive investigations, complex strategic litigation, employment disputes including those involving allegations of discrimination and harassment claims, and other crisis management matters.
Employment Litigation and Corporate Crisis Management
Kernisan represents employers and executives in employment litigation including matters related to restrictive covenant disputes, claims of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and discrimination in federal and state courts and arbitration. He has particular experience with disputes involving C-suite executives and has represented employers and executives across industries. He has also defended employers in class actions and multi-plaintiff litigation.
He has significant employment litigation and counseling experience representing domestic and international employers and senior executives in various industries, including sports, luxury goods, financial services, and private equity and venture capital firms and their portfolio companies in federal and state court and in arbitration. He has defended employers in state and federal courts, including at the appellate level, in all stages of single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff and class and collective action litigation and arbitration against claims of breach of contract (including non-compete issues), wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
Kernisan also serves as strategic counsel to companies and boards of directors navigating organizational crises involving executive misconduct, government investigations and reputational risk. He has managed crisis response and related legal strategy for professional sports franchises, the leading luxury goods provider in the world, large universities and some of the most prominent companies across industries.
White Collar, Investigations & Government Enforcement
Kernisan is a trial lawyer who conducts sensitive internal investigations and represents clients in high-stakes litigation and government/regulatory investigations and corporate crises involving multinational corporations, financial institutions, and universities facing allegations of executive misconduct, discrimination, harassment, corruption and regulatory violations. He has conducted dozens of investigations across the professional sports, private equity and venture capital, gaming, luxury goods, financial services, technology, and retail industries. Kernisan has successfully defended companies and executives in government investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and other state regulators.