Ben Kennedy was born and raised in Minnesota, attending high school at Totino-Grace where he competed in tennis and chess while writing for the school paper.  Following high school, Ben attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he volunteered with the Office of Disability Services for the Blind and was a member of the tennis club.  Upon earning his degree in Economics, Ben attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA.  While in San Diego, he gained experience in the legal industry as a clerk for attorney Michael Trestick and mentored local youths as an attorney advisor with the San Diego Teen Court organization.  Prior to joining Sawaya in 2011, Ben worked as an associate at McDivitt Law Firm and Community Bank Partners.  He regularly represents clients in administrative hearings and has successfully appealed cases to the Social Security Administration Appeals Council and to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.