Jennifer P. Keller is an employment litigator and Chair of the Firm's nationally-recognized Labor & Employment Department. Ms. Keller advises clients on a wide variety of issues, including discipline and terminations, benefits issues, leave, disability accommodation, policy formulation and enforcement, and similar matters. A substantial part of her practice is providing training for employers in the areas of harassment and discrimination prevention, drug-free workplace, union avoidance and other employment law issues. Ms. Keller also has extensive appellate experience including the briefing and argument of appeals before various state and federal appellate courts.
Licensed in Tennessee and North Carolina, Ms. Keller regularly practices in both state and federal courts in those states. She also regularly appears before various administrative agencies, including the Department of Labor, EEOC, Tennessee Human Rights Commission and NLRB. She has significant experience in mediating, arbitrating, and litigating claims based on the Civil Rights Acts, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, NLRA, ERISA, state workers' compensation laws and state-specific employment laws.
- Co-author – "Think Management Training is Optional? Think Again.", Baker Donelson Labor & Employment News (May 2006)
- "Torts-Medical Malpractice-Loss of Chance Not a Cognizable Cause of Action in Tennessee" 62 Tenn. L. Rev. 375 (Winter 1995)
- Speaker – "Urgent Issues for Modern Employers," Employment Law Seminar Kingsport, McMinnville, Asheville, Morristown, Knoxville (1998 – 2010)
- Speaker – "Documentation - It All Comes Down to This" Network Health Care Winter Weekend Escape, Atlanta, Georgia (2010)
- Speaker – "The Workplace of 2009: Managing Diversity, Preventing Illegal Conduct and Improving Your Business Position," Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo, Anaheim, California (2009)
- Speaker – "Retaliation: When Striking Back Breaks the Law," New York, New York (2008)
- Speaker – "Employment Law in the Obama Era: Strategies for Protecting Your Organization from Increased Legal Risks," Tri-Cities Human Resources Expo (2008)
- Speaker – "Tennessee Workers' Compensation Update," Tri-Cities Human Resources Expo (2007)
- Speaker – "FMLA Strategies and Solutions: An Interactive Client Workshop," Johnson City (2007)
- Speaker – "Employee Leave Refresher," Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference Chattanooga (2007)
- Speaker – "Legal Ramifications of Employee Health Initiatives," Tri-Cities Human Resources Expo (2006)
- Speaker – "How to Deal with Lifestyle Issues That Arise in the Workplace," Tri-Cities Human Resources Expo (2004)
- Speaker – "Traveling Union Free," The Essential Flight Attendants: The Supervisor's Role in Maintaining Union Free Status, Nashville (2002)
- Speaker – "Traveling Union Free," Taking Off: Why and How Unions Target Employers, Morristown (2002)
- Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers as a leading Labor & Employment lawyer in Tennessee, 2010 – 2011
- Listed in Lawdragon as one of the 40 Up and Coming Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2011
- Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, 2011
- Listed in Mid-South Rising Stars, 2008, 2010
- Member – Tennessee, North Carolina, Washington County and American Bar Associations
- Member – Defense Research Institute
- Recipient – Johnson City Pro Bono Award, 2012
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America® in Workers' Compensation Law and Labor & Employment Law since 2008
- Recognized as one of the "Most Powerful Employment Attorneys, Up and Comers" by Human Resource Executive, 2011, 2012
- Recipient – Tennessee Bar Association Award for "Best Article Appearing in a Law Review Published by a Law School in Tennessee During the Past Two Years"
- Listed in Marquee magazine's "Laudable Lawyers 2006" in the area of Labor & Employment
- Named as one of Tri Cities' Business Journals 40 Under 40 – 2004
- President – Johnson City Evening Rotary Club 2001 – 2002
- President – Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House Board of Directors 2007
- Named to "Women Who Make a Difference" (Girl Scouts of the Appalachian Council)
- Order of the Coif
- Managing Editor – Tennessee Law Review
- North Carolina, 1997
- Tennessee, 1996
- University of Tennessee School of Law, J.D., 1996, with highest honors
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville, B.S., 1993, with highest honors