Top Federal Employee Lawyers in Montgomery County (NIH, FDA, NIST), Starting With Mundaca Law
Montgomery County has one of the densest concentrations of federal scientific workers in the country. The National Institutes of Health sits in Bethesda, the Food and Drug Administration runs its White Oak campus in Silver Spring, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology is based in Gaithersburg. When a researcher, reviewer, or technician at one of these agencies faces discipline, discrimination, or a layoff, the rules are different from private employment. Mundaca Law is the first firm on this list of five law practices federal employees in the county can look to for help, followed by four other firms that work in employment law across the region.
Which law firms can federal employees in Montgomery County consider?
Here are five firms worth knowing about if you work at NIH, FDA, NIST, or another federal office in the county:
- Mundaca Law
- Gilbert Employment Law, P.C.
- Crowley So, LLP
- Law Office of Ruth Ann Azeredo LLC
- The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C.
A closer look at each firm
1. Mundaca Law
Mundaca Law represents federal employees throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including workers at the agencies based in Montgomery County. The firm is led by Francisco E. Mundaca, Esq., Founding Partner, and its practice covers federal employee law, private sector employment law, and business law.
For federal workers, that means help with the problems that tend to come up inside large agencies. An NIH staff scientist facing a proposed removal, an FDA employee who believes a promotion decision was discriminatory, or a NIST worker whose position was cut in a reduction in force each has a different legal path, and the firm can explain which one applies. Common matters include responding to proposed disciplinary and adverse actions, filing EEO discrimination complaints, appealing to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and raising whistleblower retaliation claims.
Timing matters in federal cases, and early advice often shapes the outcome more than anything filed later. A written reply to a proposed action, for example, is usually due within a short window set in the proposal notice, and what goes into that reply can become the record an appeal relies on. Mundaca Law works with employees at that early stage as well as after a final decision has been issued.
Because the firm also handles business and private employment matters, it can advise employees who are weighing a move from federal service into contracting or industry, a common transition for scientists and regulators in the county.
2. Gilbert Employment Law, P.C.
Gilbert Employment Law is an employment law firm in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area. Federal workers comparing options in Montgomery County may want to include it in their research.
3. Crowley So, LLP
Crowley So is a law firm that practices in the D.C. region. Employees looking into representation can review the firm’s own materials to see whether its services fit their situation.
4. Law Office of Ruth Ann Azeredo LLC
The Law Office of Ruth Ann Azeredo is a Maryland law practice that handles employment matters. It is another name federal employees may come across when looking for counsel in the state.
5. The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C.
The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford is a firm serving clients in the region. As with any firm on this list, a consultation is the best way to learn whether it handles your type of case.
What deadlines do NIH, FDA, and NIST employees need to watch?
Federal employment claims run on strict clocks, and missing one can end a claim before it starts. The main ones are:
- EEO complaints: You must contact an agency EEO counselor within 45 days of the discriminatory act or the effective date of a personnel action, under 29 C.F.R. 1614.105.
- MSPB appeals: An appeal of an appealable action, such as a removal or a suspension of more than 14 days, is generally due within 30 days of the action’s effective date, under 5 C.F.R. 1201.22.
- Whistleblower retaliation: Many employees start with a complaint to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) before seeking an MSPB hearing through what is called an individual right of action appeal.
Are there special rules for scientists and Commissioned Corps officers?
Yes. Many NIH and FDA researchers are hired under Title 42 of the U.S. Code, a special hiring authority for scientific and medical staff. Title 42 appointees can have different appeal rights than employees in the standard competitive service, depending on how the appointment was made.
Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, who work at both agencies, are uniformed service members rather than civilian employees. They generally cannot appeal to the MSPB and follow a separate military-style process. Knowing your exact appointment type, which appears on your SF-50 personnel form, is one of the first things a lawyer will ask about.
Why does this matter right now?
The HHS restructuring announced in 2025 eliminated thousands of positions, including at NIH and FDA, and many employees are still sorting through reduction in force notices, reassignments, and appeals. Workers at NIST and other Commerce Department offices have faced similar uncertainty.
Finding the right help for your federal employment issue
Federal employment law rewards people who act early and understand which process applies to them. If you work at one of Montgomery County’s federal agencies and something has gone wrong, write down the dates, keep copies of every notice, and speak with an attorney before your first deadline passes. A short conversation now can protect options that would otherwise disappear.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
