Security Clearance Team Wins Four

Bill Savarino and his security clearance team have won four more cases at DOHA (Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals):

  1. The first case involved allegations of deception (Guideline E), where the applicant was accused of lying on his SF-86 form. Five witnesses were called during the 7 hour hearing at DOHA.
  2. The second case involved two allegations; one pertaining to foreign preference (Guideline B), where the applicant had family in India, and the other pertaining to outside activities (Guideline L), where the applicant had arrangements with a family business in India. This case also involved a complicated hearing at DOHA.
  3. The third case also involved two allegations; one pertaining to foreign preference (Guideline B), where the applicant had family in India, and the other pertaining to outside activities (Guideline L), where the applicant’s company owned other businesses in India and Germany and members of the applicant’s family served as directors for these other companies. Bill Savarino and his team convinced DOHA to withdraw the Statement of Reasons and grant the clearance without a hearing.
  4. The fourth case involved allegations of criminal conduct (Guideline J), where the applicant had pled guilty to possession of drugs. Because the applicant was sentenced to time in excess of one year, DOHA also alleged that the applicant was disqualified from receiving a clearance based on the Smith Amendment, 10 U.S.C. 986. Bill Savarino and his team convinced DOHA to withdraw the Statement of Reasons and grant the clearance without a hearing.

Related Resources

Published on:

Josh Schnell elected to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association

Partner Josh Schnell was recently elected to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) Bar Association. Since its founding in 1987, the COFC Bar Association has supported the Court and promoted justice in disputes between the United States government and its citizens.
Published on:

AP – “Some Native Americans draw shocked response over contract to design immigration detention centers”

Josh Schnell was interviewed by the Associated Press regarding allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse in 8(a) set-aside contracts. In the article, which focuses on Department of Homeland Security sole-source 8(a) contracts, Josh stressed the importance of competition and transparency in federal contracting. Click the link to read the article in Politico. 
Published on:

Client Advisory: Legal Considerations for Africa’s Next Era of Growth

Seizing opportunities across the African continent and in other international contexts, particularly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), can feel daunting. This client advisory outlines key legal considerations for structuring cross-border agreements, selecting appropriate entity types, engaging jurisdiction-specific counsel, and building compliance frameworks that support effective, scalable multi-country operations.