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Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.

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Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.

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Woman owned since 1975. Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C. provides legal services in Washington, D.C.

Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch is a Washington, DC based law firm specializing in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, harassment, security clearance, whistleblower, investigation, and disciplinary matters. and across the United States, focusing on civil rights, labor and employment, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, security clearances, and discrimination law, representing clients in the public and private sectors.

10/19/2026

KCNF attorney Samantha Sloane will join a webinar panel on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 12:00 p.m. ET to discuss streamlining case management for class and collective actions.

Presented by the MWELA Bench-Bar Committee and co-sponsored by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the free webinar will cover topics ranging from pre-trial strategy and case management technology to judicial insights on how attorneys can better prepare their cases for court.

Learn more and register: https://www.mwela.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=191&Itemid=115&year=2026&month=10&day=29&title=streamlining-case-management-for-class-and-collective-actions&uid=71f9b14b12111776005a9273f48a2741

10/14/2026

Last Friday, a unanimous jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia returned a verdict for KCNF client Fiona Torres on every count in her disability discrimination case against the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

SHRM offered Ms. Torres a job and gave her a start date. When she asked to bring her trained service dog to the office as a reasonable accommodation, SHRM rescinded the offer.

“The law requires employers to look seriously at an employee’s actual needs when an accommodation is requested,” said partner Mary K***z, who led the trial team. “This obligation applies to every employer, including the organization so many others rely on for guidance on these questions.”

Congratulations to our trial team: Mary K***z, Steve Pershing, Thomas Walker, Anna Kathryn Barry, and Adrienne Bauer. Thank you to Ms. Torres for her courage and for trusting us with her case.

Read more: https://kcnfdc.com/news/jury-returns-unanimous-verdict-for-kcnf-client-in-disability-discrimination-case-against-shrm/

10/09/2026

KCNF's Elaine Fitch and Elisabeth Baker-Pham joined leaders from law firms across the U.S. and Canada at the Managing Partner Forum’s 2026 Fall Symposium: Empowering Women in Law Firm Leadership in Chicago this week.

Behind the two-day program is a faculty of law firm leaders who help shape the agenda in advance, so the conversations reflect the real challenges facing firms today. This year’s sessions covered everything from succession planning and talent retention to integrating AI into the practice of law.

Elaine was proud to serve on this year’s faculty alongside so many accomplished colleagues, and grateful to the Managing Partner Forum for building a community where leaders can learn from one another.

And of course, there was still time to enjoy Chicago’s nightlife!

10/08/2026

We're pleased to welcome Brendan Stautberg to KCNF as an associate!

Brendan represents federal and private sector employees in discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, disciplinary appeals, whistleblower cases, and security clearance matters. He brings experience representing federal employees before the EEOC, MSPB, OSC, DCSA, and OPM.

Brendan earned his J.D. with honors from The George Washington University Law School and his B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. Fun fact: he's a triplet!

Learn more about Brendan here: https://kcnfdc.com/attorneys/brendan-c-stautberg/

10/05/2026

Starting October 5, the Merit Systems Protection Board will change how it reviews discipline against federal employees.

For decades, judges reviewing removals and other disciplinary actions against federal employees have assessed penalties using a set of 12 factors. A new rule ends the requirement that those factors be addressed in every case. Instead, judges will decide whether a penalty is reasonable in light of the totality of the circumstances.

KCNF’s Aaron Herreras Szot spoke with Law.com about what this could mean for federal employees. Aaron noted that the factors can still be raised where they are relevant, but expressed concern about how the change will work in practice, including the potential for inconsistent penalties and due process issues.

"There's certainly an argument to be made that this is going to make it easier for agencies to remove employees," she said. "But it doesn't necessarily strip the analysis completely because we still have a totality of the circumstances."

Read more about the rule and Aaron's comments: https://kcnfdc.com/news/herreras-szot-discusses-new-mspb-rule-changing-how-federal-employee-discipline-is-reviewed/

09/24/2026

The EEOC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would significantly revise how federal employees and applicants bring discrimination and retaliation claims, including eliminating mandatory pre-complaint EEO counseling and replacing the automatic right to a hearing with a discretionary referral process.

Now is the time to review the proposal and submit your comments before Monday, September 28.

Read the proposed rule here:https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/%28OLC_to_Exec_Sec_8.26.26_FR%29_NPRM_29_CFR_part_1614_508.pdf

Comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EEOC-2026-0067-0002

09/21/2026

In a recent episode of Security Clearance Insecurity on Federal News Network, KCNF’s Elisabeth Baker-Pham and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs break down why worldwide socio-political situations and conflicts abroad, from Ukraine and the Middle East to rising tensions with China, can put a previously cleared foreign contact back under scrutiny, even when nothing about a clearance holder’s relationship or conduct has actually changed.

When faced with a statement of reasons or interrogatory about foreign contacts, Lisa recommends that clearance holders maintain transparency and take any inquiry seriously. She explains, “It's not a cause for panic, but it is a cause for diligence.”

Listen to the episode: https://kcnfdc.com/blog/when-global-conflict-reopens-questions-about-your-foreign-contacts/

Follow the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mhm1UsZWKs7AkGMR926pH

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-clearance-insecurity/id1781744194

09/15/2026

KCNF and co-counsel Tycko & Zavareei LLP represented a former Honeywell employee who helped secure a $2 million+ False Claims Act settlement after blowing the whistle on Honeywell Aerospace's failure to meet cybersecurity requirements in a Department of Defense contract.

This case is a reminder of the important role employees play in reporting violations and keeping the public safe.

Read more about the settlement: https://kcnfdc.com/news/whistleblower-suit-leads-to-false-claims-act-settlement-with-honeywell/

09/08/2026

The EEOC has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would substantially revise the regulations governing how federal employees and applicants bring discrimination and retaliation claims.

Among the most significant changes: eliminating mandatory pre-complaint EEO counseling, replacing the current automatic right to a hearing before an administrative judge with a discretionary EEOC referral process available only on appeal, and ending administrative class complaint adjudication. The rule also implements new reporting and transparency requirements.

The public comment period is open now through September 28, 2026, a narrow window given the scope of what's being proposed.

We encourage federal employees, agency EEO practitioners, and anyone working in this space to read the proposal carefully and strongly suggest submitting comments before the deadline. We also suggest everyone file a comment proposing that the comment period be extended by 30 days. You can leave more than one comment.

Comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/EEOC_FRDOC_0001-0365

Read the proposed rule here:https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/%28OLC_to_Exec_Sec_8.26.26_FR%29_NPRM_29_CFR_part_1614_508.pdf

09/02/2026

We're pleased to welcome Nelly Sambra to KCNF as our new Accounts and Administrative Specialist. Our team is excited to have her on board and looks forward to working with her.

Welcome, Nelly!

Address

818 Connecticut Avenue Northwest #1000
Washington D.C., DC
20006

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm

Website

http://kcnfdc.com/

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