ATTORNEYS
Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky
Partner
310.272.7929
jchemerinsky@kbkfirm.com
LinkedIn
Download V-Card
Download Bio
As a KBK Partner with over 15 years of experience as a civil- and criminal-trial attorney, Jeff Chemerinsky serves as a key member of the firm’s white-collar defense and complex commercial litigation practices. He is a respected trial lawyer, legal strategist, and problem solver for high-profile commercial and criminal disputes.
He is currently lead counsel in a high-profile lawsuit challenging the Los Angeles Unified School District’s alleged misuse of Prop 28 arts education funds. He also represents Nirvana, Universal Music Group, and the members of Nirvana in litigation pending in federal court over the iconic cover art for the Nevermind album. Following a recent civil trial, after joining the case as lead counsel just two months before trial, he secured a complete defense verdict and full award of attorneys’ fees for his client.
Mr. Chemerinsky was recently named among the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys, an award that is annually presented to the “very best litigators who go to the proverbial mat to fight for their clients before judges and jury” in the L.A. region.
Prior to joining KBK, Mr. Chemerinsky served as a federal prosecutor and the Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. An experienced and skilled trial lawyer, during his time as a federal prosecutor, he successfully tried 16 cases to verdict. He prosecuted a wide range of cases ranging from large RICO murder cases and sex-assault cases to fraud and corruption cases. During his nearly decade-long tenure as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Chemerinsky achieved a number of notable convictions in high-profile cases, including prosecuting over 30 MS-13 gang leaders and members and the leader of the East Coast Crips. Mr. Chemerinsky also prosecuted an individual who embezzled money from HBO in a case that received wide media attention.
Mr. Chemerinsky has received numerous awards for his service, including the prestigious U.S. Department of Justice’s Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He was also honored with commendations by several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. He is a two-time recipient of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Service Award, which honors individuals, organizations, teams, and programs that work in support of victims and survivors of crime.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Chemerinsky had a robust civil and criminal trial practice at a law firm in Los Angeles.
Mr. Chemerinsky served as a law clerk for the Honorable George H. King, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California, and the Honorable Robert H. Henry, Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Duke Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Duke Law Journal. He graduated from New York University, magna cum laude.
Education
Duke University School of Law, J.D., 2009
- Magna cum laude
- Duke Law Journal, Editor-in-Chief, Volume 58
New York University, Gallatin School, B.A., International Politics, 2005
- Magna cum laude
- Dean’s List, all semesters
- Founder’s Award for outstanding academic achievement
Clerkships
U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2010–2011
- Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. George H. King
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 2009–2010
- Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Robert H. Henry, Chief Judge