A Leading Security Clearance, Federal Employment, and National Security Law Firm
Compass Rose Legal Group has a diverse practice area tailored to prospective, current, and former civilian federal employees, defense contractors, members of our active duty and reserve military, journalists, and corporations. The firm’s foundation rests on its proven experience and professionalism while zealously providing legal representation for its clients. Notably, its attorneys are uniquely qualified to perform in these areas, having years of experience working on such matters within the Federal Government as well as the private sector.
The CompassRose
Intelligence Community and national security professionals will quickly recognize the compass rose. Symbolically, the radiating spokes of the compass depict the convergence of intelligence from all areas of the world to a central point: the Intelligence Community. The same applies to our firm. In representing our clients, it is they who are the firm’s central focus.
Attorney Spotlight
Andrew P. Bakaj is the Founding & Managing Partner of Compass Rose Legal Group. As a former official with the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense Office of Inspectors General, Andrew now provides highly experienced representation for former, current, and prospective civilian federal employees, defense contractors, members of our active duty and reserve military, and journalists. Andrew has written numerous articles on security clearance matters, federal investigations, and whistleblower representation. He also provides legal commentary and analysis to various media outlets. Andrew has been lauded by colleagues and professional organizations alike. Notably, he was named “Lawyer of the Year” by his peers at the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, and Washingtonian Magazine named him among Washington, DC’s top attorneys. Perhaps most unique is that Washingtonian named Andrew among Washington’s “Most Influential People”, identifying him among the “experts and advocates—outside the government—who’ll be shaping the policy debates of the years to come.” They continue to write, “Policymaking changes as governments come in and out of power. But the bedrock underlying it—expertise that enables public service and good-faith debate . . . remains.”
I. Charles McCullough, III is Senior Partner with the firm and a former Presidentially-appointed and Senate confirmed Inspector General. Specifically, he was the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IC IG). In this role, he reported directly to then-Director of National Intelligence, the Honorable James R. Clapper, and oversaw intelligence officers responsible for audits, inspections, investigations. Furthermore, he was responsible for inquiries involving the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as well as the entire Intelligence Community. Chuck has experience representing clients in a variety of practice areas including, but not limited to: security clearance matters, federal employment matters, and discrete matters involving various aspects of federal investigations, including Inspector General investigations.
Mark S. Zaid is Senior Of Counsel with the firm. Mark often represents former/current federal employees, intelligence and military officers, Whistleblowers and others who have grievances or have been wronged by agencies of the United States Government or foreign governments, as well as members of the media. Mark teaches D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education classes on “Defending Security Clearances” and “The Basics of Filing and Litigating Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Requests”. He has been named as a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer every year since he was profiled in 2009, as well as a “Best Lawyer” by Washingtonian Magazine since 2009 (issued bi-annually), for his national security work. As the National Law Journal once wrote, “if Agent Mulder ever needed a lawyer, Zaid would be his man.”
Erik Helbing is Of Counsel with the firm and is a subject matter expert in consumer rights. Accordingly, Erik leads the Compass Rose Financial Debt Recovery Program, the firm’s practice area specially designed for federal employees, federal contractors, members of our active duty and reserve military, and those who hold security clearances. This program facilitates our ability to negotiate and attempt to resolve financial debt matters on behalf of our clients. This is critical as the firm prepares to mitigate the Federal Government’s concerns about our client’s financial history vis a vis their ability to obtain or maintain a security clearance and federal employment.