Atty. James Bennett Kinsel

Atty. James Bennett Kinsel

Jim Kinsel serves as a Managing Partner at Protorae Law and Co-Chair of the firm’s litigation teams. He is a trial attorney who focuses on business litigation, business breakups, disputes over ownership of businesses, and unfair business practice claims.

Tysons Tysons 27 yrs experience 27 year
Call (571) 786-5951 Email Book Appointment

Profile Summary

About James Bennett Kinsel at a glance

James Bennett Kinsel is a Managing Partner based in Tysons, Virginia, practicing at Protorae Law Pllc. They have 27+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1999. Their practice focuses on business and litigation. Admitted to practice in Virginia (1999) and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (2000). Educated at University of Virginia (J.D., 1998) and James Madison University (B.S., 1994). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Serands clients in Tysons, VA and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Verified attorney profile · Updated June 2026

About

  • Jim Kinsel serves as a Managing Partner at Protorae Law and Co-Chair of the firm’s litigation teams
  • He is a trial attorney who focuses on business litigation, business breakups, disputes over ownership of businesses, and unfair business practice claims
  • Jim co-founded Protorae Law in 2010, and built the firm’s litigation team
  • During his career, Jim has prosecuted and defended countless litigation matters
  • Jim is accustomed to handling bet-the-company disputes
  • He is also experienced with advocating for and defending against preliminary injunction motions and temporary restraining order motions
  • In 2015, he guided Protorae Law’s litigation team in achieving the second highest jury verdict awarded during that year in Virginia
  • That same year, he successfully defended another client against a $55 million complaint to reduce the plaintiff’s maximum recovery to no more than nominal damages while also launching a defense of a $10 million claim in a third case
  • The denial of the claimed actual damages of $55 million was named by the Virginia Lawyers Weekly as one of 2015’s most important opinions
  • Jim focuses on litigation involving business disputes such as business conspiracy, trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty, and other unfair business practices
  • In addition, he handles contract claims, including disputes involving noncompete agreements, shareholder agreements or LLC operating agreements
  • Jim also represents minority and majority owners in disputes over whether someone is a business owner and those involving shareholder oppression and minority squeeze-out claims
  • Jim has steered many disputes to favorable outcomes for his clients at trial, through pre-trial motions practice, or settlement with or without mediation
  • Jim’s well-considered litigation strategies help his clients safeguard critical business and individual assets, including trade secrets, client lists, business relationships, and other proprietary information
  • When representing individual owners, Jim works to protect their ownership interests
  • Jim provides his clients with strategic advice early-on to help them determine how best to resolve a dispute
  • He is often able to negotiate favorable resolutions before litigation costs escalate
  • If a settlement cannot be reached, his extensive experience handling complex litigation matters within federal and state courts allows him to aggressively advance his clients’ interests at trial
  • Electronic discovery is integral to Jim’s case management
  • He is able to quickly assess the appropriate scope of electronic discovery for each litigation matter, and provide his clients with an up-front evaluation of the cases’ strengths and weaknesses
  • After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1998, Jim clerked for the Honorable Norman K. Moon in the U.S
  • District Court for the Western District of Virginia
  • He then joined the Jefferson Law Firm, which became the Tysons office of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC. He later became a partner at Williams Mullen before co-founding Protorae Law

Practice Areas Explained

James Bennett Kinsel's Areas of Practice

Each practice area below reflects the types of cases James Bennett Kinsel handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.

Business & Corporate Law

Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.

James Bennett Kinsel is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Virginia →

Civil Litigation

Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.

James Bennett Kinsel is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Virginia →

Jurisdictional Context

Why local counsel matters in Virginia

Practicing law in Virginia. Legal matters in Virginia are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Tysons are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Virginia state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Virginia brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Virginia courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.

Looking for additional Virginia attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Tysons or all attorneys in Virginia.

Frequently Asked

Common questions about James Bennett Kinsel

Where is James Bennett Kinsel's law office located?
James Bennett Kinsel's law practice is located in Tysons, Virginia. The firm is Protorae Law Pllc. You can contact the office directly through this profile page.
What practice areas does James Bennett Kinsel handle?
James Bennett Kinsel focuses on business, litigation. Each practice area listed reflects experience handling cases of that type in Virginia.
How long has James Bennett Kinsel practiced law?
James Bennett Kinsel has 27+ years of legal experience and has been licensed since 1999.
Where did James Bennett Kinsel go to law school?
James Bennett Kinsel earned their education at (J.D., 1998); (B.S., 1994).
How can I contact James Bennett Kinsel for a consultation?
You can contact James Bennett Kinsel directly through this profile page. Click "Ask the Attorney" to submit a question, or "Schedule a Consultation" to book a meeting. Most claimed-profile attorneys respond within one business day.
What awards or recognition has James Bennett Kinsel received?
James Bennett Kinsel's notable recognition includes: AV Preeminent.

Education

J.D.
University of Virginia
- 1998
B.S.
James Madison University
- 1994

Awards

AV Preeminent

Bar Admissions

Virginia
Admitted: 1999
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
Admitted: 2000

Reviews

4.7
12 Review
5 0
4 0
3 0
2 0
1 0
These reviews belong to platform users; they do not constitute advertisement or promotion for the attorney. Opinions are published for informational purposes only.

No reviews yet.