Federal Employment Lawyer Serving the United States
Federal Employment Representation Led by a Former Federal Administrative Judge
If you’re a current or former federal employee and your job, reputation, or security clearance feels at risk, you can’t afford confusion about your rights. At The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, PLLC, we focus on federal employment law and represent federal workers across the United States and internationally.
From proposed removals and performance actions to discrimination complaints, whistleblower retaliation, and security clearance problems, the stakes are high. Your pension, benefits, and career can all be affected by what happens next.
Based in Washington, D.C., our national practice is led by John P. Mahoney, a former federal Administrative Judge. We assess the applicable forum, agency process, response options, and deadlines for employees serving throughout the country and abroad.
Call (202) 350-3881 to discuss your notice, deadline, or federal employment concern with our team.
Our Practice Areas
- Administrative Law Judge Hearings
- Agency or Congressional Conduct Investigations
- Conduct Investigation
- Disciplinary Actions
- EEO Complaints
- Employment Law
- Federal Disability Retirement Benefits
- Federal Employment Law
- Inspector General Complaints
- MSPB Appeals
- OFO Appeals
- OSC Complaints
- Performance Cases
- Performance Improvement Plans
- Security Clearance Law Appeals
- Sexual Harassment
- Title 38
- Whistleblower Cases
- Workplace Harassment
Federal Employment Cases We Handle
Federal employment law is a distinct system with its own rules, forums, and procedures. We work with federal employees in a wide range of matters that arise under that system.
The proper path depends on the underlying personnel action, employee status, agency, and claims involved. An Equal Employment Opportunity complaint, Merit Systems Protection Board appeal, Office of Special Counsel filing, mixed case, and security clearance response can involve different standards, deadlines, and available remedies.
Discrimination & Harassment Matters
Many clients come to us after experiencing discrimination or harassment in violation of federal civil rights laws. This can involve race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, or other protected characteristics. We guide employees through the Equal Employment Opportunity process, from initial contact with an EEO counselor through formal complaints, investigations, and hearings, and address failures to follow required procedures.
Federal-sector discrimination complaints generally require contact with an agency Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory event or effective personnel action. Exceptions can apply, and other claims may follow different timelines, so employees shouldn’t assume that one deadline governs every available process.
Whistleblower Retaliation & Prohibited Personnel Practices
We also represent whistleblowers who believe they have been retaliated against for reporting waste, fraud, abuse, or other wrongdoing. Retaliation can appear as sudden performance issues, reassignments, suspensions, or removal actions. We assist employees in raising their concerns before appropriate federal offices, such as the Office of Special Counsel or the Merit Systems Protection Board, and in challenging prohibited personnel practices.
The Office of Special Counsel investigates whistleblower retaliation and other prohibited personnel practices within its statutory jurisdiction. The Merit Systems Protection Board hears certain appeals and whistleblower claims, but not every federal employee or personnel action falls within its jurisdiction. We evaluate the employee’s status, challenged action, and potential election-of-forum issues before recommending a filing path.
Security Clearance & Adverse Actions
Security clearance problems can put an entire federal career at risk. When clients receive Statements of Reasons, interrogatories, or notices of proposed revocation, they often feel overwhelmed and unsure how to respond. We help them understand the adjudicative guidelines, prepare written responses, and pursue appeals that address the specific concerns raised in their cases.
Our work also includes defending employees facing performance-based or conduct-based adverse actions, such as proposed suspensions, demotions, or removals. We assist with written replies, representation in oral response meetings, and subsequent appeals where appropriate. In each type of case, we pay close attention to deadlines and procedural rules that can affect a federal employee’s ability to challenge an agency decision.
Our experience includes matters before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The appropriate forum and scope of review depend on the action taken, the claims raised, and the procedural history of the matter.
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"I found him a wise and compassionate advisor."
Mr Mahoney is an incredibly intelligent attorney with a very easy counselor manner. I found that the money I spent for my initial appointment with Mr Mahoney was well spent I will continue to use his council as I found him a wise and compassionate advisor. You would be well taken care of should you use his service.- Michael S. -
"It means the world to know my experience is being fought for so powerfully."
Dear Attorney Lolotai,
I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the powerful motion you submitted to amend and reinstate the dismissed claims in my case. Your work was not only thorough and well-argued it is deeply validating.
Reading the motion, I felt like you truly captured the full scope of what I endured. The way you incorporated the patterns of hostility, the layered racial and gender-based discrimination, and the continued retaliation was incredibly strategic and affirming. Your attention to detail, legal framing, and use of precedent made it clear that you believe in the strength of my case and are committed to advocating for the truth to be seen.
Thank you for standing with me and for giving voice to the reality I’ve been carrying for so long. It means the world to know my experience is being fought for so powerfully.
- Rikyah Noel Brown
What to Do When Your Federal Job Is at Risk
When you receive a notice of investigation, proposed discipline, or security clearance concern, it’s natural to feel pressured to react quickly. Federal processes often impose short timelines, so respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively.
Gather & Review Key Records
Start by gathering and preserving all relevant documents. This may include emails, prior performance appraisals, awards, position descriptions, notices from your agency, and any written responses you’ve already provided. Keeping these materials together helps you and our attorneys see the full picture and identify inconsistencies in the agency’s narrative.
Review the notice for the proposed action, factual specifications, response opportunity, effective date, and stated deadline. Preserve related Equal Employment Opportunity materials, investigative communications, clearance documents, and prior agency correspondence without changing or annotating the original records.
Protect Communications & Procedural Options
Be careful about informal conversations regarding your case. Well-intentioned explanations to supervisors, coworkers, or investigators can sometimes be misunderstood or used later. It’s generally better to keep communications factual, limited, and in writing when possible. If you’re asked to participate in an interview, you should understand your rights and obligations before you speak.
Deadlines in federal matters can be short, especially in Equal Employment Opportunity complaints, appeals, and security clearance responses. Missing a deadline can limit or even prevent certain types of review. Prompt guidance from our attorneys can help you plan your strategy, protect your statements, and make informed choices about how to proceed.
An informal discussion with a supervisor, investigator, or agency representative can still have legal or procedural significance. Before submitting a response or choosing a forum, you should understand how that choice may affect other claims or remedies.
Federal-Sector Experience for High-Stakes Matters
John P. Mahoney has served as a federal Administrative Judge and federal government executive. Many of our attorneys are also former federal employees, including former agency executives and administrative judges. That firsthand experience informs how we evaluate agency evidence, procedural issues, performance allegations, and credibility disputes.
Our firm reports more than 30 years of experience representing federal employees and other federal-sector clients. We’ve received an AV Preeminent rating for ethics and legal skill, supported by feedback from the legal community. Our reported case history includes significant federal employment matters, multi-million-dollar resolutions, and proceedings before federal tribunals and courts, although every matter depends on its own facts and governing process.
Employees looking for a federal employment attorney serving the United States can work with counsel whose practice is centered on federal personnel systems rather than general state employment law. We use that background to identify the relevant forum, assess the agency’s position, and prepare the next response or filing.
For decades, we have helped thousands of federal employees like you handle the most complex legal matters, so they can assert their rights, and protect and enhance their federal careers. We are grateful for your public service, and we are dedicated to resolving the employment difficulties you face with the federal government. We offer the effective legal experience you need.
Federal Employment Representation Across All 50 States
Federal agencies, installations, and offices operate in every state. Wherever you serve, your rights as a federal employee are grounded in the same federal laws and systems. We represent federal workers in every state.
Location alone doesn’t determine whether a matter belongs in an agency process, the federal-sector Equal Employment Opportunity system, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Office of Special Counsel, or a federal court. Employee status, collective bargaining rights, the personnel action, the claims raised, and prior filings can change the available path.
Examples of federal workplaces across the states include:
- Alabama: Military installations, VA facilities, and NASA-related sites
- Alaska: Military bases, Coast Guard facilities, and natural resource agencies
- Arizona: Border-related agencies, VA medical centers, and regional offices
- Arkansas: Corps of Engineers projects, VA facilities, and regional agency offices
- California federal workplaces: Military installations, laboratories, ports of entry, and administrative centers
- Colorado’s federal community: Defense, space-related, and environmental agencies
- Connecticut: Defense oversight, VA healthcare, and regional offices
- Delaware: Financial regulation, postal operations, and military support roles
- Florida: Military commands, space-related workplaces, ports, and VA systems
- Georgia: Military installations, public health institutions, and regional agency centers
- Hawaii: Pacific-based commands and related federal agencies
- Idaho: Land management, laboratory work, and regional administration
- Illinois federal workplaces: Service centers, transportation hubs, and enforcement agencies
- Indiana: Logistics, VA healthcare, and inspection roles
- Iowa: Agricultural, veterans, and administrative agencies
- Kansas: Aviation, military installations, and research facilities
- Kentucky: Military, justice, and healthcare roles
- Louisiana: Ports, energy-related regulation, and disaster response
- Maine: Defense operations, border protection, and natural resource agencies
- Maryland federal workplaces: Headquarters, laboratories, and military facilities
- Massachusetts: Healthcare, research, and maritime roles
- Michigan: Manufacturing oversight, border operations, and veterans services
- Minnesota: Healthcare, agriculture, and administrative functions
- Mississippi: Military bases, VA facilities, and regional centers
- Missouri: Defense, transportation, and administrative agencies
- Montana: Land management, border protection, and veterans services
- Nebraska: Defense, agriculture, and administrative roles
- Nevada: Public lands, defense, and regulatory roles
- New Hampshire: Defense, border, and environmental responsibilities
- New Jersey: Transportation, healthcare, and regulatory agencies
- New Mexico: Laboratories, defense, and land management
- New York: Enforcement, finance, and immigration functions
- North Carolina: Military installations, research centers, and VA systems
- North Dakota: Defense, energy, and land management roles
- Ohio: Logistics, healthcare, research, and enforcement
- Oklahoma: Military installations and energy regulatory agencies
- Oregon: Land management, research, and veterans services
- Pennsylvania: Healthcare, enforcement, and administrative roles
- Rhode Island: Naval, regulatory, and veterans operations
- South Carolina: Military, port, and healthcare roles
- South Dakota: Defense, land management, and tribal-related work
- Tennessee: Healthcare, enforcement, and administrative agencies
- In Texas: Border operations, military commands, space-related work, and administrative centers
- Utah: Defense, technology, and land management
- Vermont: Border protection, environmental, and veterans services
- Virginia: Defense, intelligence, and headquarters roles
- Washington: Defense, trade, and environmental agencies
- West Virginia: Energy, veterans services, and regional regulation
- Wisconsin: Healthcare, research, and agricultural roles
- Wyoming: Land management, energy, and environmental oversight
Across these locations, we represent federal employees confronting investigations, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, prohibited personnel practices, adverse actions, and security clearance concerns. We account for the governing federal process while considering the employee’s agency, appointment, workplace, and procedural posture.
Don’t wait until a deadline passes or a decision becomes final. Call (202) 350-3881 or speak with The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, PLLC today about protecting your federal career, benefits, and future opportunities.