Federal Employment Law Firm Archives

Deputy Special Counsel Eric Bachman Joins D.C. Whistleblower Firm Zuckerman Law

Eric Bachman has joined Zuckerman Law as Of Counsel, where he will head the firm’s employment discrimination and retaliation practices. Bachman is an accomplished trial attorney, most recently serving as Deputy Special Counsel, Litigation and Legal Affairs, at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Previously, he served for five years as a Special Litigation Counsel … Continued

Whistleblower Law Firm Zuckerman Law Recognized as Tier 1 Firm in Washington DC in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”

Washington D.C. whistleblower law firm Zuckerman Law has received a First Tier ranking in Washington D.C. in Litigation – Labor & Employment in the 2016 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® for the Sixth Edition of “Best Law Firms.” The U.S.News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation … Continued

MSPB Clarifies Burden-Shifting Framework for Discrimination Appeals

The Board’s September 3, 2015 decision in Savage v. Department of the Army clarifies the burden that an appellant must meet to prevail on an affirmative defense of discrimination in an adverse action appeal. While the Board held that an appellant need not meet the Nassar “but for” causation standard to prove a violation of … Continued

Whistleblower Attorney Zuckerman Will Speak on Panel About Representing Whistleblowers

Whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman will speak at the annual conference of the National Employment Lawyers Association on a panel addressing “Strategies for Representing Whistleblowers in the Federal Government.” After a 13-year legislative campaign, Congress finally and unanimously passed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA), which broadens the scope of protected conduct under the Whistleblower Protection … Continued

MSPB Whistleblower Protection Act Decision Clarifies Scope of IRA Appeal

In Benton-Flores v. Dep’t of Defense, 2014 MSPB 60 (July 31, 2014), the Board reversed an AJ’s decision holding that an IRA appellant failed to exhaust her administrative remedies before OSC and clarified that an AJ should consider all allegations contained throughout the entire record, including the initial OSC complaint and other written correspondence. The … Continued

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Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Quoted About Suspicious Investigation of Allegations of Retaliation

An article titled CFPB opens new investigation in bid to exonerate bureau managers on discrimination quotes DC whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman about a suspicious investigation that appears designed to exonerate a CFPB official accused of retaliation. An investigation conducted about one year ago by an independent investigator identified a “toxic workplace” environment in a certain … Continued

Washington Post Quotes Whistleblower Attorney Jason Zuckerman About Chilling Effect of Insider Threat Program

In a Washington Post article titled Intelligence security initiatives have chilling effect on federal whistleblowers, critics say, whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman warns of the chilling effect of the Obama Administration’s Insider Threat Program. The article leads with a description of a tense meeting between Senator Grassley and FBI officials in which Senator Grassley’s staff asked … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Quoted About Federal Employee Whistleblower Rights

An article titled CFPB official wants to silence a whistleblower before he can talk to Congress quotes whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman about the rights of federal employees to disclose waste, fraud and abuse to Congress. The article describes the attempt by outside counsel to a CFPB official to strike a whistleblower’s testimony prior to … Continued

Robust Whistleblower Protections Essential for Civil Servants to Function as the Real Fourth Estate

In a January 20, 2014 column in FedSmith titled The Real Fourth Estate, Jerry Fox asserts that career civil servants are the real fourth estate. In particular, Fox contends that career civil servants are a “‘check and balance’ protecting the public from ill-conceived, sometimes downright dumb, policies and programs advanced by the Congress or any … Continued

DC Circuit Decision Highlights Procedural Complexity of Federal Employee Whistleblower Retaliation and Discrimination Claims

The DC Circuit’s recent decision in Schlottman v. Perez underscores the procedural complexity of federal sector employment litigation and the importance of meeting the short deadlines required to perfect EEO rights. Despite filing claims at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and the Merit Systems Protection Board and pursuing EEO counseling, Schlottman ultimately … Continued