Updated 9:50 a.m. 11/30/2012
Northern Virginia-based Fluet Huber + Hoang has launched a national security law practice.
Name partners Francis Hoang and Joseph Fluet III said that the practice arose from both client pressures and the internal desire to consolidate work that the firm already does. The practice will focus on the nexus between national security business and the government and include topics like security clearance, litigation, public relations and government compliance.
"When we do national security type work, there is always a legal issue," Fluet said. "By virtue of who we are, we tend to attract government contractors in the defense and intelligence space."
The firm, founded in 2009, has 16 attorneys throughout two Virginia offices and a Maryland office. It is headquartered in Lake Ridge, Virginia. Eight of the attorneys will be part of the new group. The practice pools together attorneys with backgrounds in the White House, the Department of Defense, CIA and the Department of Labor.
Several firm attorneys have national security credentials. Hoang is a former associate counsel to President George W. Bush. Of counsel Mary Beth Long was the first woman to be confirmed by the Senate as assistant secretary of defense. Long has also worked at the CIA, where she handled matters related to narcotics, weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. Of counsel Dean Popps is a former Assistant Secretary of Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology.
Hoang and Fluet stressed that while the firm is full-service in its offering to clients, much of what their attorneys focus on is related to national security matters. Both said the firm looks for attorneys who have experience in both the top levels of government and a strong legal background.
"We saw the opportunity to assemble a team that built on the foundations of the firm but could serve the need of clients that have problems that intersect national security, business and government," Hoang said.
The firm's modest headcount, Fluet said, allows it to offer a better value for clients than their big law counterparts. "We have enough diversity and breadth that we can be a full service provider for clients who can't move onto K Street," Fluet said.
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