Nicole M. Burns has practiced family law in Northern Virginia for over a decade, handling everything from complex custody disputes and domestic violence cases to amicable divorces and post-judgment matters. She offers both litigation and settlement-focused services, using mediation and collaborative law when appropriate to help clients resolve issues with less conflict. Her background in psychology—combined with real-life parenting experience, including raising a child with special needs—gives her a grounded, empathetic approach to family law. Nicole earned her law degree from George Mason University and graduated with honors from the Catholic University of America. She is a member of the Fairfax and Prince William County Bar Associations and the Virginia State Bar. Ready to move forward with confidence? Call Nicole M. Burns today at 703-373-4761 or complete our contact form to discuss how she can help you protect your family and your future.

Mr. Berry is the founding partner and represents federal employees, government contractors, employers, state employees, federal intelligence agency employees, law enforcement officers, firefighters, private sector employees, in various employment, labor and national security law matters. Mr. Berry’s primary practice areas include security clearance defense, disciplinary action defense, administrative investigation representation, and representation in equal employment opportunity (EEO) claims. For federal employees and government contractors, Mr. Berry represents them nationwide in security clearance appeals and federal disciplinary actions. Mr. Berry frequently defends federal employees in proposed removals, proposed suspensions, and performance matters before their respective agencies; represents federal employees in appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB); represents individuals in Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint matters before respective federal agencies and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); and represents federal employees and government contractors in security clearance matters before the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA). In addition, Mr. Berry represents security clearance holders before all federal agencies (DoS, DoD, DoE) and those federal agencies within the Intelligence Community (NRO, NGA, CIA, DIA, NSA). Mr. Berry has represented hundreds of individuals in administrative investigations conducted by agency investigators, inspectors general (IG), internal affairs unit investigators and before the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) of various federal agencies. Mr. Berry also represents private sector, state, county, and municipal employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia in various types of investigations, county and state grievance procedures, disciplinary actions, whistleblower issues, and equal employment opportunity (EEO) matters. Mr. Berry previously served as the General Counsel to the United States Park Police and United States Capitol Police Federal Labor Unions representing law enforcement officers in disciplinary, wage and security clearance matters. Mr. Berry has also served as counsel for local businesses involving issues related to wage and hour matters, Human Resources Policy development, and employment legal defense. He is a security clearance lawyer and member of the Security Clearance Lawyers Association. Mr. Berry has been interviewed on radio and television networks, like CNN, and written and commented on articles for news organizations such as the Washington Post and others. He has taught continuing education courses for lawyers in his practice areas. He has written several published legal articles on various topics regarding employment and labor law as well as security clearance law. Mr. Berry authors articles for ClearanceJobs. In addition, he previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of the District of Columbia Bar Labor and Employment Law Newsletter and served as a guest speaker for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars on administrative, employment and labor law issues. Mr. Berry frequently provides legal guidance and training to Human Resources personnel of companies, nonprofit entities, and labor unions. In 2009, Mr. Berry was elected by his peers to the D.C. Bar Labor and Employment Law Section’s Steering Committee. The Committee works to advance the professional development and competence of its members by offering educational programs and publications in the substantive law fields of labor and employment law, as well as areas of practice and procedure. Since 2014, Mr. Berry has served as co-author of the firm’s legal articles on RestonNow, and ArlingtonNow. Since 2019, Mr. Berry has co-taught the District of Columbia Bar continuing legal education course on security clearance representation for other lawyers seeking to learn how to effectively represent clients in security clearance cases. Mr. Berry presented a class for the Virginia Continuing Legal Education program on the security clearance process in May of 2021 and a class regarding the MSPB and EEOC in November of 2022.

Ms. Berry is the managing partner and has a wide range of experience in the representation of federal, public, and private sector employees as well as small business organizations. Her practice focuses on employment, retirement, business, and contract law. Ms. Berry specializes in federal employee retirement issues before the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and other federal agencies. In particular, Ms. Berry has represented federal employees in matters involving federal employee retirement issues under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), CSRS Offset, and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Many of her retirement matters have involved federal agency retirement errors in connection with the Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Correction Act (FERCCA), litigation with OPM and numerous other federal agencies over survivor annuitants’ benefits due to OPM errors and erroneous advice, issues involving former spousal benefits under Court Orders Acceptable for Processing (COAP) or Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO), federal law enforcement officer (LEO) and firefighter (FF) eligibility for special federal retirement benefits, and other federal employment retirement-related issues. Ms. Berry further specializes in the drafting, reviewing, and negotiating of severance, confidentiality/non-disclosure, non-compete, non-solicitation, and various other employment agreements. She also advises on business start-up and creation issues, contract drafting and review, and certain wage and hour issues. This representation includes executives and employees in various professions as well as solo practitioners, small businesses, and large organizations. Ms. Berry has litigated numerous Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) matters on behalf of federal and private sector employees against various federal agencies and private employers involving all types of discrimination and retaliation claims. In addition, Ms. Berry has handled grievance matters before county and federal agencies. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Berry served as Interim General Counsel and a corporate officer of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the largest nonprofit conservation organization in the United States. Ms. Berry has also served as a speaker at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars and other events, and provided legal training to staff on regulation compliance matters as well as business owners, independent contractors and solo practitioners in contract and business compliance matters. While Ms. Berry was a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, she presented legal seminars as a faculty member on various legal issues of relevance to in-house counsel of business organizations.

Ms. Watkins’ federal practice focuses on cases before various administrative agencies — including the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – as well as security clearance cases before the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency Consolidated Adjudication Services (DCSA CAS), numerous cases before the Intelligence Community and before other federal agencies. In 2022, Ms. Watkins was selected for membership in the Security Clearance Lawyers Association by her peers. Ms. Watkins also advises private sector and municipal employees in the District of Columbia in various types of investigations, grievance procedures, disciplinary actions, whistleblower issues, and equal employment opportunity (EEO) matters. Ms. Watkins also focuses on various administrative matters involving federal law enforcement officers. Ms. Watkins has several years of litigation background and has guided countless clients through depositions and trial proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Watkins worked as an attorney advisor for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, the appellate division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, authoring appeals decisions to resolve cases arising from Veterans benefits disputes. During law school, Ms. Watkins worked as a legal intern with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Prisons, providing legal support to DOJ attorneys on a variety of cases involving matters such as correctional law and litigation, civil rights disputes, mental health hearings, and FTCA claims. Prior to her legal training, Ms. Watkins obtained her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University where she double majored in History and Political Science. While attending Wake Forest, Ms. Watkins also participated as a member of the University’s Equestrian Team. Ms. Watkins is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and before federal agencies nationwide.

Attorney Josue Ruiz is an experienced advocate practicing immigration law across the United States and Puerto Rico and personal injury law in Puerto Rico. He can provide assistance with family preference visas, immediate relative visas, fiancé (K) visas, green cards, professional work visas, green cards through employer, waivers of inadmissability, VAWA & U visas, DACA & special immigrant juvenile law, and asylum. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 2011 and has been a member of the Puerto Rico Bar since 2012. Josue is also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Fluent in both English and Spanish, he is dedicated to providing personalized legal representation and effective advocacy for a diverse range of clients. Call 571-441-2233 to speak to Mr. Ruiz at Immigration Legal Advisors, PLLC.