Scott J. Bloch, P.A.

Scott J. Bloch is a trial lawyer who has specialized in complex litigation, class actions, employment and personal injury for over 30 years, vindicating his clients in their quest for justice. Recognized as a tenacious and skilled attorney, he has appeared in federal, state, administrative, and appellate courts across the country, including in the United States
Supreme Court. His areas of concentration are:

Complex consumer, class action, personal injury and professional malpractice matters
Defense Base Act actions against contractors and insurance carriers
Employment discrimination, federal rights, personnel law, whistleblower retaliation, public policy retaliation
Qui tam (false claims) suits against private corporations for defrauding the taxpayer
Government contracts disputes and executive compensation

He served two years in the United States Department of Justice as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General on matters involving constitutional litigation, and for five years was the government’s chief enforcer of federal employment rights and whistleblower disclosures where he attained notoriety as the head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. He garnered national news for his work in the grounding of 1000 airplanes due to unsafe cracks in fusilages, his pursuit of disciplinary actions against high administration officials in multiple departments and the White House, and championing the rights of nationally recognized whistleblowers in such places as the Department of Defense (faulty Katrina pumps and government contracting irregularities), the Border Patrol (fraudulent kickback scheme), and the Federal Aviation Administration (cover up of FAA air traffic system near misses, widespread cover up of airworthiness inspections). He has testified on federal rights before the United States Congress and has appeared regularly in the media on programs such as NPR (Morning Edition and All Things Considered), CNN, C-Span, NBC Nightly News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, US News & World Report, Newsweek, St. Louis Post Dispatch. He has written on the need to recognize whistleblowers and on the enforcement of other employment rights.

He and his team recently obtained settlement of a national consumer class action against General Motors (in re Dex Cool) that was valued at $300 million and has tried cases successfully in the area of employment rights, financial fraud, contracts, and consumer protection. He believes in aggressive pursuit of justice on behalf of those whose rights have been denied, economically, personally, and constitutionally. “My whole career has been dedicated to bringing expeditious justice to those who have been denied justice.”

His motto in government as well as in private practice is from the famous British statesman, Gladstone:

Justice delayed, is justice denied.

Contact him at (202) 496-1290 or scott@scottblochlaw.com

Additional Biographical Information

Bar Admissions

District of Columbia
California
Kansas
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. District Court, Kansas
U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

Employment

U.S. Office of Special Counsel, The Special Counsel, Washington, D.C. December 13, 2003 – December 12, 2008

Top Secret clearance. Senate Confirmed head of federal agency dedicated to bringing greater integrity, efficiency and ethics to government. Appointed by President; confirmed by United States Senate for five-year term. Major achievements include reform of agency to be more prosecutorial and efficient in handling all claims for federal whistleblowers and other complainants throughout country. Major achievements:

Increased by 400% positive referrals of disclosure cases, USERRA and Hatch Act ethics cases
Achieved 60% increase in agency budget over five years
Conducted wide-scale analysis and elimination of 10-yr backlog in three divisions
Drove increased agency enforcement in four divisions, cutting processing times by 200-300% in various divisions, see https://www.dcresultslawyers.com/employment-law/ for charts, data and interviews.
Obtained historic $1.1 Million additional appropriation for enforcement of Hatch Act throughout White House and agencies of executive branch
Created USERRA unit, obtained legislation for demonstration project and obtained 25% corrective action for service members
Led financial and process reform, increasing agency budget by over fifty percent over five years
Led investigations of White House, Department of Justice, and multiple departments government for Hatch Act violations
Appeared in national media on high-profile cases, including investigations that caused the grounding of Southwest Airlines and many other airlines’ airplanes due to non-compliance with airworthiness regulations and maintenance safety checks
Investigated high-profile Smithsonian scientist discrimination matter that was a central story in Ben Stein’s movie, “Expelled”
Testified before US Congress, state agencies and foreign governments, for example before Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions available at http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=0d53946b-ae1a-3d69-277d-1695be96905f
Worked with cabinet agency heads to craft policies, conduct outreach, and correct problems
Advised White House and major federal agencies on legal and a wide range of compliance issues
Created new initiatives for enforcement of Hatch Act and USERRA government wide
Worked with FBI and Integrity Committee on high-level investigations of Inspectors General
Worked with Inspectors General of various agencies in investigations and handbooks, compliance and education
Oversaw litigation and coordinated with US Attorneys offices handling federal court matters
Wrote law reviews, magazine articles, and gave speeches nationally
Conducted outreach and education with agencies and Inspectors General throughout Federal Government, created on line education and production of DVD
Appeared before U.S. Supreme Court in FAA v. Whitman

Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Deputy Director and Counsel to Deputy Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

November 5, 2001 – December 21, 2003

Formulated counsel concerning policy direction of Presidential initiative for use by White House Counsel, Domestic Policy Council, and Cabinet agencies; implemented regulatory and legal reform; conceived and implemented a five-city pilot program for reentry of prisoners; conducted education nationally to religious and community organizations on grants; oversaw audits of government programs; coordinated First Amendment litigation cases of importance on neutrality theory; drafted recommendations to US Solicitor General on interventions in cases before circuit courts and attended Supreme Court arguments; drafted legislation in conjunction with agencies, White House, and Congress; participated in drafting regulations for use throughout executive branch; and attended staff meetings and briefed the Deputy Attorney General on policy and case developments.

Stevens & Brand, LLP, Lawrence, Kansas, Partner, May 30, 1989- November 1, 2001

Associate, 1986-1989

Head of Litigation Group. first chair in fifteen jury trials, second chair in seven jury trials, and primary representation in dozens of bench trials, administrative hearings, and arbitrations. Supervision of firm litigation associates and oversight of firm appellate practice, employment, and trademark, copyright and IP matters for corporate clients. Counsel to County, State and local Governments and corporations in personal injury, employment, civil rights, and ethics matters in the following areas: hospital law, school law, personal injury, medical malpractice, securities, hostile takeover litigation, commercial litigation, legal malpractice, insurance defense, representation of state, corporation commission, city and county in trial and appellate work. Specific representation includes:

Partner in action against Texas trial lawyers which made new law in the Texas Supreme Court that changed the way big trial lawyers represent mass tort groups
Represented explosion victims in one of largest industrial accidents in US history
Successfully prosecuted IP/patent CASE against pirating by inventor of complex signal analysis system for use in medical and defense applications
Successfully represented plastics manufacturer in various employment cases, administrative proceedings with EEOC and state agencies
Successfully defended company against trademark and trade secret theft and loss of customer base in multi-state litigation
Successfully defended national brokerage house in $30 million multi-plaintiff securities fraud arbitration and proceeding before state securities commission
Successfully defended national CLE seminar company in licensure revocation proceedings before state CLE commission
Brought national consumer class action against GM (settled for $300 million)
Verdicts and settlements in wrongful death, employment, product liability, medical malpractice, environmental, and personal injury cases
Co-counsel in defending hostile takeover ($25 billion) of large insurance company by European consortium
Five years of criminal, felony appointment list and retained work, including White Collar defense
Appeared before U.S. Supreme Court in cert petitions, 10^th Circuit, State Supreme Courts and Courts of Appeals

Reported cases: Burrow v. Arce, 997 S.W.2d 229 (Tex. 1999); Green v. Henley, 924 185 (10^th Cir. 1991); Black v. Northern Insurance of New York, 895F.2d 670 (10^th Cir. 1990); Johnson County Bank v. Jackson National Bank, 28 Kan. App. 2d 8, 13 P.3d 351 (2000); Peoples Mortgage Corporation v. Kansas Bankers Surety Trust Company, 176 F.Supp.2d 1199 (D. Kan. 2001); Tinkler v. United States (FAA), 982 F.2d 1456 (10th Cir. 1992); Protect Our Eagles’ Trees (POETs) v. City of Lawrence, Kansas, 715 F. Supp. 996 (D. Kan 1989); Blevins v. Hiebert, et al., 13 Kan. App. 2d 318, 770 P.2d 486, rev’d, 245 Kan. 646, 783 P.2d 1260 (1989).

Teaching, Publications, and Civic

Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, 1996 through 2001

Member, Board of Trustees, Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, Merrimack, New Hampshire, 2015 to present

Speaker, National Autism Convention, Chicago, IL, May 2010, “Mercury’s Rising: Thimerisol and the Law of Contradiction in Public Policy,” CLE speech to EBCALA lawyers

The Essential Belloc: A Prophet for Our Times St. Benedict Press (Tan Press) (2010), co-author of collection of famous quotes, quips, verse, essays, and historical observations by one of England’s great Edwardian man of letters

“The Judgment of History: Faction, Political Machines, and the Hatch Act,” University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor & Employment Law, 7 U. Pa. J. Lab. & Emp. L. 225 (2005)

“Don’t Bury the Hatch Act: Hidden Dangers for the Unwary and Politically Active Prosecutor’s Office Employee,” The Prosecutor Vol.38 Number 5 (Sept/Oct 2004)

Appeared on Pentagon Channel worldwide 2004-05, promoting better understanding of USERRA among troops

Appeared on CSPAN, Brian Lamb’s Washington Journal, April 27, 2007, CNN with Ed Henry, April 2007, John Roberts “American Morning,” April 26, 2007 and July 2007, NBC Nightly News July 2007; National Public Radio (‘05-07)

Note, Public Safety Exception to Miranda, 33 Kansas Law Review 526 (1985)

Guest Op Ed, Federal Times, “America Will Always Need Whistleblowers,” 2006; “OSC Protects Whistleblowers as they Shine the Light of Truth,” 2005

Author and faculty, handbook of Employment Law for Human Resource Managers, implied contract, retaliatory discharge for NBI Continuing Legal Education Seminar, October 1998

Author and faculty, handbook of Defending Wrongful Discharge, on ADA and retaliatory discharge for NBI Continuing Legal Education Seminar, 1997, Topeka

Keynote Speaker, Federal Dispute Resolution (FDR) seminars, speaking to approximately 1000 participants of federal government agency officials on the purpose and achievements of my office, 2004 in Phoenix, 2005 in New York City, and 2006 in San Antonio, 2007 San Francisco

“Cleaning the Augean Stables of Government,” Speech at University of Kansas School of Law, September 2008; “Is There a Fourth Branch of Government?” Speech at Notre Dame Law School, March 2007; “Is Ethical Government Possible?” Speech at University of Southern California Law School, October, 2007

Keynote Speaker, SLFLERP Federal Labor and Employment Seminar, Crystal City, 2005

Chair, Douglas County Bar Ethics and Grievance Committee, 1998 to 2001, member 1987-98 (investigated and drafted reports on ethical violations by attorneys; oversight of incoming complaints; assignment of matters; deliberation among other members)

Ex Officio Member, 1998-2001, Kansas Board of Discipline that heard evidence on ethical complaints

Member, Knights of Malta, Federal Association, work for various associated charities for disabled and homeless

Member of Founders Committee, Wyoming Catholic College 2002-2005

Producer/Writer, “AB, the American Blue Rider,” a documentary about Albert Bloch, artist

Founder, Hilaire Belloc Society of Washington, D.C., 2002 to present