Brownell Landrigan

What Brownell Landrigan does

Brownell Landrigan, PLLC is a Washington, D.C.-based boutique law firm founded in 2010 that specializes in defending federal employees, contractors, Senior Executive Service members, and political appointees in government investigations, disciplinary actions, security clearance matters, and related administrative litigation. The firm operates six interconnected practice areas: Government Investigations, Disciplinary Actions, Litigation (before the MSPB, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Ninth Circuit), Security Clearances, FOIA and Privacy Act Requests, and Financial Liability for Property Loss. Its service delivery is built on a 14-attorney team led by Managing Partner Christopher R. Landrigan and Founder Bonnie J. Brownell, drawing on former government, agency-OIG, and federal-court experience to handle matters spanning Inspector General inquiries through appellate litigation.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through professional services — specifically, individually scoped legal engagements billed on a quote-based, hourly/flat-fee basis typical of law firms. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and there are no subscription, technology, or platform products. Its go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven: direct client engagement supplemented by the firm's designation as outside counsel for Starr Wright USA, the premier federal employee professional liability insurer with over 30,000 members, providing a high-volume, insurance-anchored referral channel. Distribution is single-country (United States), with all matters handled from the firm's sole office at 1818 N Street NW, Suite 520, Washington, D.C.

Operationally, the firm has no proprietary technology stack, no software products, no app, no API, and no external funding — it is a privately held Professional Limited Liability Company organized in the District of Columbia. The firm has grown steadily via attorney recruiting (from a founding core to 14 attorneys and 3 staff by 2025), with notable 2025 moves including the promotion of Adam Higgs to Partner and the addition of senior litigator Leonard J. DePasquale as Of Counsel. Customer acquisition is almost entirely relationship-driven, with minimal reliance on content marketing or paid channels.

Name

Brownell Landrigan

Legal name

Brownell Landrigan, PLLC

Website

https://brolanlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brownell Landrigan, PLLC is a Washington, D.C. boutique law firm founded in 2010 that defends federal employees, contractors, and senior executives in government investigations, disciplinary actions, security clearance matters, and related administrative litigation across six practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services for federal employees and contractors facing government investigations, disciplinary actions, administrative litigation, security clearance adjudications, FOIA requests, and financial liability matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Brownell Landrigan, PLLC is a Washington, DC-based law firm that provides legal representation to federal employees and contractors facing government investigations, disciplinary actions, security clearance issues, and related administrative and appellate proceedings. The firm focuses exclusively on federal forum matters, including representation before the Merit Systems Protection Board, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Ninth Circuit, the EEOC, and the Office of Special Counsel, and provides assistance with FOIA/Privacy Act requests and financial liability defense.

Product overview

Brownell Landrigan, PLLC is a law firm offering legal defense services for federal employees facing government investigations, disciplinary actions, security clearance issues, and related matters. The firm operates as a unified legal practice with six interconnected service areas covering the full spectrum of federal employment legal challenges—from initial investigations through administrative hearings and appellate litigation. The practice areas work together to provide comprehensive representation, with attorneys handling government investigations that may lead to disciplinary actions, which in turn may require MSPB litigation and security clearance appeals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Investigations Legal Services Legal defense representation for federal employees under investigation by federal and state authorities including Offices of Inspectors General, FBI, Offices of Professional Responsibility, Office of Special Counsel, and various other investigative bodies.
• Disciplinary Actions Legal Services Legal representation and defense for federal employees facing disciplinary actions ranging from reprimands to removals, including strategic response development to proposed discipline.
• Litigation Legal Services Comprehensive litigation services before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Ninth Circuit, and various administrative forums including EEOC and Office of Special Counsel.
• Security Clearance Legal Services Representation for federal employees in security clearance investigations, suspensions, and revocations across federal agencies including DoD, intelligence agencies, DOHA, DHS, CIA, and FBI.
• FOIA and Privacy Act Requests Legal assistance in requesting information through the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, frequently filed in preparation for litigation or to ensure accurate records.
• Financial Liability for Property Loss Legal representation for government employees facing financial liability investigations and recoupment actions for physical loss or deficiency of public money, vouchers, checks, and securities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful reversal of suspension of Assistant United States Attorney in Goeke v. Department of Justice
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Starr Wright USAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStarr Wright USA is the premier provider of federal employee professional liability coverage. Brownell Landrigan has been selected as legal counsel to represent Starr Wright USA's over 30,000 members. This partnership provides a significant referral channel for the firm, positioning Brownell Landrigan as the preferred defense counsel for Starr Wright USA insured federal employees facing investigations, disciplinary actions, and other career-threatening matters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Phillips: A major national labor and employment law firm with an established federal employment practice. Comparable subject-matter overlap but operates at far greater scale and primarily on the management side, whereas Brownell Landrigan focuses exclusively on individual federal employee defense.
• Jackson Lewis P.C. One of the largest U.S. employment law firms with a dedicated federal sector practice group. Comparable in handling federal employment matters but as a broad incumbent with a primarily management-side orientation rather than a dedicated federal employee defense boutique.
• Littler Mendelson P.C. The largest U.S. labor and employment law firm, with a federal practice group that handles some federal employee matters alongside its dominant management-side practice. Comparable in employment law category but operating at a vastly different scale and orientation than Brownell Landrigan's individual-defense boutique model.
• Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP: A national labor and employment law firm with a federal employment law practice representing federal employees and agencies. Comparable subject-matter area but with a much wider footprint and broader employment practice than Brownell Landrigan's federal-only boutique.
• Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, P.C. A large national employment and labor law firm with a significant federal sector practice serving federal agencies and federal employees. Comparable in representing federal employees but as part of a much broader portfolio across all employer-side and employee-side employment work.

Direct peers

• Passman & Kaplan, P.C. A long-established Washington, D.C. law firm devoted to representing federal employees in disciplinary, investigative, and security clearance matters. Directly comparable to Brownell Landrigan in client base (federal employees across agencies), service lines (MSPB and Federal Circuit litigation, OIG investigations), and boutique scale.
• The Employment Law Group (TELG): A Washington, D.C. firm representing federal employees in disciplinary actions, security clearance cases, whistleblower claims, and discrimination matters. Directly comparable in mission and target customer, with overlapping practice areas in federal forum representation.
• Tully Rinckey PLLC: A multi-office law firm with one of the largest dedicated federal employment practices in the U.S., representing federal employees and union members in MSPB, EEOC, and security clearance matters. Closely comparable in target customer and practice focus, though slightly larger and more geographically distributed than Brownell Landrigan.
• Satterley & Nicholas, PLLC: A federal employment law firm representing federal employees in MSPB, EEOC, and security clearance matters nationwide. Highly comparable in practice area, client segment, and boutique positioning within the federal employment defense niche.
• Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch (KCNF): A Washington, D.C. boutique focused exclusively on federal sector employment law, including discrimination, whistleblower, MSPB, and security clearance cases. Directly comparable niche specialist with similar boutique scale and federal-only client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brownell-landrigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brownell Landrigan