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John V. Berry

Berry & Berry PLLC • Reston, VA
EmploymentLaborNational Security Law

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Contact

Email
or@www.berrylegal
Phone
703-202-7805
Address
Reston, VA, 20190, US

Professional

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia1998Michigan1997Maryland2005U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia1999U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit1999U.S. District Court District of Maryland2002New York2006VirginiaU.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit

About

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. Mr. Berry was named a Top Lawyer, as voted by his peers, in both Northern Virginia Magazine (2019-2024) and Arlington Magazine (2019, 2023, 2024).

Credentials

Education
George Washington University National Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia, December, 1999 | LL.M. | University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, Michigan, July, 1997 | JD | Honors: Exec. Editor, Law Review, 1996-1997 | Honors: Top 25% | University of Michigan, 1993 | B.A. | Major: Political Science

Recognition & Involvement

Awards
Top Lawyer, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2019-2024 | Top Lawyer, Arlington Magazine, 2019, 2023, 2024
Associations
Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyer's Association, January 1, 1999 - Present (Member) | Security Clearance Lawyers Association | D.C. Bar Labor and Employment Law Section | Virginia Employment Lawyers Association
Speaking
How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2025) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2024) | Garrity, Weingarten and Loudermill Rights, CLE Instructor, NFOP Counselor’s Seminar (2024) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2023) | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Systems Protection Board Cases with Federal Employees, CLE Instructor, Virginia CLE (2023) | Dynamics of Decriminalizing Marijuana for Police Officers, CLE Instructor, NFOP Counselors’ Seminar (2023) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2022) | Security Clearances for Employment 101, CLE Instructor, Federal Bar Association/MyCLE (2021) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2021) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2020) | How to Represent Clients Effectively in Security Clearance Cases, CLE Instructor, District of Columbia Bar (2019) | How to Represent Federal Law Enforcement Officers in OIG Investigations and Federal Disciplinary Actions, NFOP Counselors’ Seminar (2019) | The Intersection of Security Clearances and Family Law, CLE Instructor, Fairfax Bar Association (2017) | Council on Education & Management, Employment Laws and How They Impact Human Resources Management
Updated: May 11, 2026